Discover the story of the song > Dirty Laundry – Don Henley

The song is about how the news media focuses on negative and controversial stories to capture people's attention. The protagonist, who works in the media, explains how they love to report on people's misfortunes and scandals, and even make bets on certain outcomes. The chorus repeats the phrase "kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down" which means to criticize or attack someone regardless of their success or failure. In the end, the song implies that people should just ignore the dirty laundry and focus on more positive things.