The first lines of this song tell the news of the narrator’s former flame finding someone new, putting him in a wistful, reminiscing mood. Henley muses about the tendency for even those who are seemingly at peace in a relationship to seek greener pastures. In the second verse, the writers broaden the focus to encompass the general malaise that seemed to be symptomatic of the times. In the chorus, they possessed the insight to boil it all down to a single word that sums up what we all should be striving for, which we once seemed to have in abundance, seems to slip through our fingers – forgiveness. This song strikes such a chord because the themes are universal, especially for those who have loved, and lost, a little. Most breakup songs get bogged down with pointing fingers, blaming, and generally mud slinging, but here is one that strives for something nobler, even if it’s hard to get there. Here is “Heart of the Matter”.
