by SMF· Published January 14, 2020· Updated February 21, 2023

The lady at the center of The Eagles’ “Witchy Woman” is in fact presented as having some characteristics popularly associated with witches. For example, she’s able the ‘fly high’, with the insinuation being that she is doing so magically. 

');var c=function(){cf.showAsyncAd(opts)};if(typeof window.cf !== 'undefined')c();else{cf_async=!0;var r=document.createElement("script"),s=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];r.async=!0;r.src="//";r.readyState?r.onreadystatechange=function(){if("loaded"==r.readyState||"complete"==r.readyState)r.onreadystatechange=null,c()}:r.onload=c;s.parentNode.insertBefore(r,s)}; })(); You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Eagles's Witchy Woman at Lyrics.org.

Also, as noted in the second verse, she has the ability to cast spells, particularly on the likes of the singer. But of course these are metaphors, and it is that latter notion which this song is particularly centered on.

In other words, the idea is not to present the subject of this song as being an actual witch. Rather she is a seductress. Thus the spell she had cast on the vocalist was actually akin to seducing him.

But with this lady indeed being a “witchy woman”, he is not celebrating falling victim to her. Rather he is warning the addressee, who is a “brother” of his, to stay strong against her charms. This is due to this woman for instance having ‘slept in the devil’s bed’. 

While the exact meaning of that simile is not abundantly clear, it can easily be interpreted as something which is not favorable. Indeed the singer seems to acknowledge her sensual prowess along with the fact that sleeping with her has dire consequences.

“Withcy Woman” was a real person

This song is indeed based on real-life women, though not necessarily anyone in particular. However, when composing the lyrics, Don Henley was reading the biography of Zelda Fitzgerald (1900-1948), who could be classified as a wild girl back in her day. In fact there is a certain line in the song, in which he references the witchy woman ‘driving herself mad with a silver spoon’, which some feel actually alludes to Zelda’s affinity for a liquor called absinthe. 

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However, others also say this phrase may actually be a reference to an even harder drug. But either way you cut it, the idea is the same. And it is that the “witchy woman” is indeed the reckless, even dangerous type. Moreover Henley also derived partial inspiration for the witchy lady from a girl he knew who dabbled in the occult.

Conclusion

So basically what we have here is a situation where the singer uses the character of a witch to rather point to the idea of a temptress. That is this “witchy” lady does indeed have enchants. But those powers are used to basically get men in bed and leave them in an unfavorable state afterwards.

“Woo hoo, witchy woman
See how high she flies
Woo hoo, witchy woman
She got the moon in her eye”

Facts about “Witchy Woman”

Asylum Records released this song on 1 August 1972 as the second single from the Eagles eponymous debut album. Two other singles, were birthed by this album, including the hit song “Take It Easy“.

“Witchy Woman” was written by two members of the Eagles, Bernie Leadon and Don Henley. In fact this was one of the first songs which Henley wrote that actually went on to be commercially successful.

“Witchy Woman” charted in Canada, the Netherlands and the US and in the latter case peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The producer of this track is Glyn Johns.