The Heart of the Matter (song) explained

The Heart of the Matter
Cover:Don Henley - The Heart of the Matter.jpeg
Caption:Cassette single artwork
Type:single
Artist:Don Henley
Album:The End of the Innocence
Released:February 1990[1]
Recorded:1988
Genre:Rock
Length:5:21 (Album Version)
3:53 (Edited Version)
Label:Geffen
Producer:Mike Campbell, Don Henley, Danny Kortchmar
Prev Title:The Last Worthless Evening
Prev Year:1989
Next Title:How Bad Do You Want It?
Next Year:1990
The Heart of the Matter
Cover:The Heart Of The Matter single.jpg
Type:single
Artist:India.Arie
Released:September 4, 2006
(U.S. smooth jazz radio)[2]
Recorded:2006
Length:5:15
Label:Motown
Prev Title:There's Hope
Prev Year:2006
Next Title:Beautiful Flower
Next Year:2007

"The Heart of the Matter" is a song recorded by American rock singer Don Henley from his third solo studio album, The End of the Innocence (1989). Written by Henley, Mike Campbell, and J. D. Souther and produced by Henley, Campbell, and Danny Kortchmar, the song was released as the album's third single, reaching No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks in early 1990.

The shorter radio edit version omits the "I'm learning to live without you now, but I miss you baby," and skips directly to "I've been trying to get down to the heart of the matter."

In 1994 Henley, along with the Eagles, played an acoustic version of the song at their reunion concert; the performance was omitted from the Hell Freezes Over live CD, but was included in the concert DVD.

The song was covered by American soul singer India.Arie in 2006 on her third studio album, . Her version of the song is used in the second episode of Brothers & Sisters, entitled "An Act of Will", and in the theatrical trailer for the 2008 film adaptation of Sex and the City. It is also played briefly in a scene of the film.

Stage and television actress Megan Hilty recorded a cover on her 2013 debut solo album It Happens All the Time.

Canadian singer Nikki Yanofsky recorded a live acoustic cover for her 2010 DVD Live in Montreal.

Composition

In a November 2003 interview with Songfacts, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist and songwriter Mike Campbell explained the song's origins:

Personnel

Charts

Don Henley version

Weekly charts
Chart (1990)[3] Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Billboard Hot 10021
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks2
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary3
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[4] 7
Year-end charts

India.Arie version

Chart (2006)Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs[6] 7
Chart (2008)Peak
position
Canadian Hot 100[7] 33
Swedish Singles Chart46
UK Singles Chart[8] 79

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Great Rock Disography. 253.
  2. Web site: Smooth Jazz – Week Of: September 4, 2006 . . 2009-01-06 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110719062423/http://gfa.radioandrecords.com/publishGFA/GFANextPage.asp?sDate=09%2F04%2F2006&Format=8 . July 19, 2011 .
  3. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r9247|pure_url=yes}} The End of the Innocence > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles ]. . 2009-01-06.
  4. Web site: Top Singles - Volume 51, No. 23 - Apr 21, 1990. RPM. June 8, 2022.
  5. Web site: Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1990. RPM. November 26, 2017.
  6. Web site: Smooth Jazz Songs . . . 2009-01-06.
  7. Web site: India.arie – The Heart Of The Matter – Music Charts . αCharts.us . 2009-01-06.
  8. Web site: The Official Charts Company – India Arie – The Heart Of The Matter . . 2009-01-06.