The Heart of the Matter
Mike Campbell, Don Henley & J.D. Souther

Don Henley
The End of the Innocence
1989

The Heart of the Matter is an incredible song off the End of the Innocence.
The acoustic version I kind of used appears on the Eagles Hell Freezes Over
concert video, and it's a great rendition.

INTRO RIFF:

   D             Dsus4                 D             Dsus4
   +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +
e:-2---2---0-2-0-3-|-----------------|-2---2---0-2-0-3-|-----3-------3-0-|
B:-3---3---3-3-3-3-|-----------------|-3---3---3-3-3-3-|---3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|
G:-2---2---2-2-2-2-|-----------------|-2---2---2-2-2-2-|---2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
D:-0---0---0-0-0-0-|-----------------|-0---0---0-0-0-0-|---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|


   D             Dsus4                 D             Dsus4
   +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +
e:-2---2---0-2-0-3-|-----------------|-2---2---0-2-0-3-|-----3-------3---|
B:-3---3---3-3-3-3-|-----------------|-3---3---3-3-3-3-|---3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|
G:-2---2---2-2-2-2-|-----------------|-2---2---2-2-2-2-|---2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|
D:-0---0---0-0-0-0-|-----------------|-0---0---0-0-0-0-|---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

D                             A
  I got the call today that I didn't wanna hear
      G
But I knew that it would come
D                                 A
  An old, true friend of ours was talkin' on the phone
             G
She said you found someone

      A
And I thought of all the bad luck and the struggles we went through
    G
How I lost me, and you lost you

A
  What are those voices outside love's open door
        G
Make us blow off our contentment
    Asus4             A
And beg for something more

CHORUS
D                 Em/B              G
  I'm learning to live without you now
      A
But I miss you sometimes
D                      Em/B
  The more I know, the less I understand
        G
All the things I thought I knew
    A
I'm learning again

D
  I been tryin' to get down
Bm
  To the heart of the matter
       G
But my will gets weak
A                                                   D
  And my thoughts seem to scatter but I think it's about
            Bm
Forgiveness,  forgiveness
G                 A
  Even if even if you don't love me anymore


INTRO RIFF twice

Oh these times are so uncertain
There's a yearning undefined
And people filled with rage
We all need a little tenderness
How can love survive
In such a graceless age

The trust and self-assurance
That lead to happiness
They're the very things we kill I guess
Pride and competition cannot fill these empty arms
And the work output between us
You know it doesn't keep me warm

CHORUS
I'm learning to live without you now
But I miss you baby
The more I know, the less I understand
All the things I thought I'd figured out
I have to learn again

I been tryin' to get down
To the heart of the matter
But everything changes
And my friends seem to scatter but I think it's about
Forgiveness, forgiveness
Even if you don't love me anymore

D

BRIDGE
          C                     G/B
There are people in your life who've come and gone
        Am                             G/B
They'll let you down, you know they'll hurt your pride
C                                                G/B
  You better put it all behind you baby, because life goes on
         A
You keep carrying that anger it'll eat you up inside, baby

CHORUS
I been tryin' to get down
To the heart of the matter
But my will gets weak
And my thoughts seem to scatter but I think it's about
Forgiveness, forgiveness
Even if you don't love me

I been tryin' to get down
To the heart of the matter
Because the flesh will get weak
And the ashes will scatter so I'm thinkin' about
Forgiveness, forgiveness
Even if you don't love me

(ab lib to fade out)

Here the Eagles play the intro riff again, and end on a Dsus4.