Eagles – Certain Kind of Fool

About The Song

“Certain Kind of Fool” appears as track seven on the Eagles’ second studio album Desperado, released on April 17, 1973, by Asylum Records. Produced by Glyn Johns at Island Studios in London during quick February 1973 sessions (most tracks limited to four or five takes), the song runs 3:02 and features Randy Meisner on lead vocals and bass, with the band’s signature tight harmonies and sparse outlaw-country arrangement. It was not issued as a U.S. A-side single but served as the B-side to “Outlaw Man” in August 1973; in the Netherlands it was released as a single and reached No. 14, charting for six weeks.
The track was co-written by Randy Meisner, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey. Meisner brought the initial idea and opening section, explaining in a 2006 interview that he “kinda started it” and the others helped fill in the blanks. Frey noted they needed two more songs for the album and Meisner’s concept supplied exactly what the outlaw theme required. The song is a deliberate play on words: it describes how an ordinary guy becomes an outlaw while simultaneously mirroring the path of a guitarist chasing rock-star fame.
Lyrically, it portrays a restless dreamer drawn to danger for the sake of respect and recognition. Key lines capture the fool’s desire: “And it’s a certain kind of fool that likes to hear the sound of his own name / A poster on a storefront, the picture of a wanted man / They got respect, oh yeah / He wants the same, oh yeah.” The verses trace the transformation from everyday life to life on the run, with the chorus repeating the title phrase as both warning and celebration. The outlaw theme of the album—modeled after stories of the Doolin-Dalton gang—gives the narrative its Western flavor, while the double meaning ties directly to the band’s own rise.
Though never a major radio hit, the song became a live staple during the 1973 tour, frequently paired with “Doolin-Dalton Reprise” and “Outlaw Man.” Critics and fans praised Meisner’s vocal delivery, with one Dutch reviewer calling it a “chillingly beautiful lament” and his voice the “pièce de résistance.” It disappeared from setlists after 1973 and was never performed in Meisner’s solo career.
The track has seen few covers and remains a deep-cut favorite among fans of the album’s conceptual storytelling. In remasters and compilations it stands as a concise snapshot of the Eagles’ early outlaw phase—tight, atmospheric, and laced with the irony of chasing fame at any cost.

Video

Lyric

He was a poor boy, raised in a small family
He kinda had a craving for somethin’ no one else could see
They said that he was crazy
The kind that no lady should meet
He ran out to the city and wandered around in the street

He wanted to dance, wanted to sing
Wanted to do most anything
He wanted to be a cowboy
He wanted to sail on the sea
But most of all he wanted to be free

He became a certain kind of fool
A kind of fool no one could tame
He became a certain kind of fool
A kind that no one could blame

He learned how to shoot, learned how to fight
Learned how to make love in the night
He learned how to drink, learned how to gamble
Learned how to ride the range
But most of all he learned how to change

He became a certain kind of fool
A kind of fool no one could tame
He became a certain kind of fool
A kind that no one could blame

Now he’s out on the prairie, ridin’ the range
Just like a cowboy in the movies
But he’s not the same
‘Cause he’s a certain kind of fool
A kind of fool no one could tame
He’s a certain kind of fool
A kind that no one could blame