The Hollywood Waltz is a descriptive term that the Authors of the Song use to relay a "Theme" of a "shared-behavior" they probably all experienced during the time they lived in Southern California. The common place in time, experiences and (sometimes "fragile") emotional state they were all experiencing as young aspiring (often struggling) Musicians in Los Angeles (particularly Hollywood). Apparently, they had many friends, but not many close "female friends" or "lovers" (at least not many they could trust). The Lyrics bring you into both a time and place (or "mind-set" and "feeling") of a young man appreciating a moment of reflection in his life (during a beautiful time of year.....Springtime.....the Acacias are Blooming...) as he reflects on his (and others') "hollow relationship" with an older, more mature woman, who many they (and presumably others) have "shared" or "loved".....all a part of the Hollywood Scene in the 1970's. The Author(s) have "given-in" to "temptations of the flesh". In this song they very eloquently label this transgression "The Hollywood Waltz". Extremely Poetic, Beautifully Written and Forever a Spring-time Favorite.
@ruby hill2 I think of all 4 of these, you nailed it, although the person who semi-quoted Henley got it right. Henley grew up in the Bible Belt. In the oil patch in central Texas, there was an almost too rigid morality. And he got to LA and saw a close parallel between the beauty and shallowness of so many loose women and an entire part of CA that he found equally shallow, yet an unreal, beautiful place. Part of this was Henley's past, that help lead to this viewpoint, and part of it is that...
@ruby hill2 I think of all 4 of these, you nailed it, although the person who semi-quoted Henley got it right. Henley grew up in the Bible Belt. In the oil patch in central Texas, there was an almost too rigid morality. And he got to LA and saw a close parallel between the beauty and shallowness of so many loose women and an entire part of CA that he found equally shallow, yet an unreal, beautiful place. Part of this was Henley's past, that help lead to this viewpoint, and part of it is that he just flat out got it right about S. Californian morality of that time frame. Had a buddy in Nashville who spent a year going back and forth between LA and NYC, playing with Carl Perkins and his sons in a farewell tour of the legendary, but dying Carl Perkins (Google him if you do not know who Carl was).
He called me one day and said, "you cannot believe these drop-dead gorgeous girls selling themselves for $50 on Hollywood Blvd. They are plentiful, and cheap (two times over)". This 3 Perkins and my buddy were playing in places like the Troubadour, The Roxy in LA, Max's Kansas City and Electric Circus in NYC. About 5 dates in 2 weeks, then leave for the other coast, and keep repeating for about 9-10 months. He said he was calling from a limo they had access to, and the girls were just trying to get in the limo at every stoplight that was red.
The Hollywood Waltz is a descriptive term that the Authors of the Song use to relay a "Theme" of a "shared-behavior" they probably all experienced during the time they lived in Southern California. The common place in time, experiences and (sometimes "fragile") emotional state they were all experiencing as young aspiring (often struggling) Musicians in Los Angeles (particularly Hollywood). Apparently, they had many friends, but not many close "female friends" or "lovers" (at least not many they could trust). The Lyrics bring you into both a time and place (or "mind-set" and "feeling") of a young man appreciating a moment of reflection in his life (during a beautiful time of year.....Springtime.....the Acacias are Blooming...) as he reflects on his (and others') "hollow relationship" with an older, more mature woman, who many they (and presumably others) have "shared" or "loved".....all a part of the Hollywood Scene in the 1970's. The Author(s) have "given-in" to "temptations of the flesh". In this song they very eloquently label this transgression "The Hollywood Waltz". Extremely Poetic, Beautifully Written and Forever a Spring-time Favorite.
@ruby hill2 I think of all 4 of these, you nailed it, although the person who semi-quoted Henley got it right. Henley grew up in the Bible Belt. In the oil patch in central Texas, there was an almost too rigid morality. And he got to LA and saw a close parallel between the beauty and shallowness of so many loose women and an entire part of CA that he found equally shallow, yet an unreal, beautiful place. Part of this was Henley's past, that help lead to this viewpoint, and part of it is that...
@ruby hill2 I think of all 4 of these, you nailed it, although the person who semi-quoted Henley got it right. Henley grew up in the Bible Belt. In the oil patch in central Texas, there was an almost too rigid morality. And he got to LA and saw a close parallel between the beauty and shallowness of so many loose women and an entire part of CA that he found equally shallow, yet an unreal, beautiful place. Part of this was Henley's past, that help lead to this viewpoint, and part of it is that he just flat out got it right about S. Californian morality of that time frame. Had a buddy in Nashville who spent a year going back and forth between LA and NYC, playing with Carl Perkins and his sons in a farewell tour of the legendary, but dying Carl Perkins (Google him if you do not know who Carl was).
He called me one day and said, "you cannot believe these drop-dead gorgeous girls selling themselves for $50 on Hollywood Blvd. They are plentiful, and cheap (two times over)". This 3 Perkins and my buddy were playing in places like the Troubadour, The Roxy in LA, Max's Kansas City and Electric Circus in NYC. About 5 dates in 2 weeks, then leave for the other coast, and keep repeating for about 9-10 months. He said he was calling from a limo they had access to, and the girls were just trying to get in the limo at every stoplight that was red.