Who wrote the Eagles’ 1973 song ‘Outlaw Man’?

The Eagles’ 1973 song ‘Outlaw Man’ was written by David Blue, a songwriter associated with New York’s Greenwich Village folk scene. The band recorded it for their second album, *Desperado*, where its harder-driving rock sound added momentum to an album often marked by slower, more reflective songs.

Blue’s song also suited the album’s outlaw theme, linking the freedom and danger of the Old West with life on the road. The Eagles’ Bernie Leadon later recalled that the band needed more rock songs and that Glenn Frey recognised how well Blue’s track fitted. Blue had recorded it himself for his 1972 album *Nice Baby and the Angel*, produced by Graham Nash, but his version reached a smaller audience.