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Lyin Eyes. The Eagles. Easy Guitar Songs

Lyin Eyes. The Eagles. Easy Guitar Songs

Lyin Eyes. The Eagles. Easy Guitar Songs

Song Background

An overwhelming Guitar Coach community favourite, Lyin Eyes, written by Don Henley and the late great Glenn Frey, this Eagles “standard” was recorded in 1975, with Glen Frey singing lead vocals.

Check out this live version of Lyin Eyes on YouTube.

The second single released from their album “One of These Nights” Lyin’ Eyes reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and received a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Group. It was also nominated for Record of the Year.

Apparently, the title and idea for the song came when Glenn Frey and Don Henley were in a Los Angeles restaurant where many beautiful women frequented, and began talking about such beautiful women who were cheating on their husbands.

Frey then commented on a let’s say, older fatter gentleman and his gorgeous younger partner stating “She can’t even hide those lyin eyes.”

So if you want to make a million bucks, best pop off to your local eatery right away for some inspiration!

Introduction

Lyin Eyes is a challenge to your muscle memory in that you will be playing 2 “G” chords (Major and Major 7th) and need to remember in which order they are played. The length of the verses also vary, so it’ll be more important than ever to know the song inside out” in terms of its structure.

Keeping a smooth strum is key to really nailing this track, especially as a Bm barre chord will mean your fretting hand chord changes will need to be a s smooth and clean as possible. You don’t want to hear any rustic guitar to detract from the great vocals. The song is played at 132bpm.

Lyin Eyes Strumming Patterns

The main strumming pattern Andy will show you (which is used throughout the majority of the song – with the exception of the intro looks like this:

It’s difficult to annotate the strumming patterns as the rhythm guitar involves some melodies within the strumming (these have been tabbed) and some differentiation and embellishments throughout the track.

However, if we were to pin the most used pattern, the 2 most used patterns would look something like this: D/D/U/D/U/D/U

Andy will also break down the intro strumming pattern, along with some other variations you can use throughout the song to assist you in developing your own interpretation of the song.

Lyin Eyes Guitar Chords

 

Lyin Eyes Chords

Lyin Eyes Song Structure

Intro – G Gmaj7 C Am D (or D7) G

Verse 1

G        Gmaj7 C Am                            D7
City girls just seem to find out early, how to open doors with just a smile.

G Gmaj7 C Am C     G
A rich old man and she won’t have to worry, she’ll dress up all in lace and go in style.

Verse 2

G Gmaj7 C Am D
Late at night a big old house gets lonely, I guess every form of refuge has its price.

G Gmaj7 C Am C     G C D
And it breaks her heart to think her love is only given to a man with hands as cold as ice.

Verse 3

G Gmaj7 C Am   D
So she tells him she must go out for the evening, to comfort an old friend who’s feelin’ down

G Gmaj7 C Am   C G D G
But he knows where she’s goin’ as she’s leavin, she is headed for the cheatin side of town.

Chorus

G C G C G Em Bm Am D
You can’t hide your lyin eyes, and your smile is a thin disguise

G G7 C A Am D G
I thought by now you’d realize there ain’t no way to hide your lyin eyes

Guitar – As Per Intro – G Gmaj7 C Am D G

Verse 4

G Gmaj7 C Am   D
On the other side of town a boy is waiting, with fiery eyes and dreams no one could steal.

G Gmaj7 C Am C   G C D
She drives on through the night anticipating cause he makes her feel the way she used to feel.

Verse 5

G Gmaj7 C Am   D
She rushes to his arms they fall together, she whispers that it’s only for a while.

G Gmaj7 C Am C G D G
She swears that soon she’ll be comin’ back forever she pulls away and leaves him with a smile.

Chorus

G C G C G Em Bm Am D
You can’t hide your lyin eyes, and your smile is a thin disguise

G G7 C A Am D G
I thought by now you’d realize there ain’t no way to hide your lyin eyes

Guitar – As Per Intro – Gmaj7 C Am D G

Verse 6

G Gmaj7 C Am   D
She gets up and pours herself a strong one and stares out at the stars up in the sky.

G Gmaj7 C Am C    G C D
Another night, it’s gonna be a long one, she draws the shade and hangs her head to cry.

G Gmaj7 C Am D
She wonders how it ever got this crazy, she thinks about a boy she knew in school.

G Gmaj7 C Am C   G
Did she get tired or did she just get lazy, she’s so far gone she feels just like a fool.

Verse 7

G Gmaj7 C Am   D
My, oh my, you sure know how to arrange things, you said it so well, so carefully.

G Gmaj7 C Am     C G D G
Ain’t it funny how your new life didn’t change things you’re still the same old girl you used to be.

Chorus

G C G C G Em Bm Am D
You can’t hide your lyin eyes, and your smile is a thin disguise

G G7 C A Am D G
I thought by now you’d realize there ain’t no way to hide your lyin eyes

Am C G Gmaj7
There ain’t no way to hide your lyin’ eyes

Am C G
Honey, you can’t hide your lyin’ eyes.

Outro (Over Acoustic lead guitar) – G Gmaj 7 Am D G

 

Lyin Eyes Introduction Melody Line

Lyin Eyes Teaching Session

 

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If you’ve enjoyed this lesson then check out more of our easy guitar songs:

Tequila Sunrise. The Eagles

Brown Eyed Girl. Van Morrison

Lola. The Kinks

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