Life's Been Good
| "Life's Been Good" | ||||
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| Single by Joe Walsh | ||||
| from the album But Seriously, Folks... | ||||
| B-side | "Theme from Boat Weirdos" | |||
| Released | May 1978 | |||
| Format | 7" vinyl | |||
| Recorded | 1978 | |||
| Genre | Rock Southern rock Reggae fusion |
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| Length | 8:04 (album version) 4:35 (single version) |
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| Label | Asylum | |||
| Writer(s) | Joe Walsh | |||
| Producer | Joe Walsh, Bill Szymczyk | |||
| Joe Walsh singles chronology | ||||
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"Life's Been Good" is a 1978 song by Joe Walsh, which first appeared on the soundtrack to the film FM. It was released as a single and appeared on Walsh's album But Seriously, Folks.... It peaked at #12 on the US Billboard Hot 100[1], remaining his biggest solo hit.
In it, he satirically reflects on the rockstar lifestyle, the 1978 revocation of his drivers license, ("My Maserati does 185 [ mph ] / I lost my license, now I don't drive"). Antics of all rockers of the era are reflected, such as the nod to Keith Moon and others: "I live in hotels/Tear out the walls." The 1979 Rolling Stone Record Guide called it "riotous", and "[maybe] the most important statement on rock stardom anyone has made in the late Seventies."
[edit] Content
"Life's Been Good" has a notable style: a mid-tempo, reggae-like groove marked by bedrock guitar riffs, synthesizers, and a confused delivery. Walsh's ARP Odyssey synthesizer riff accompanies the guitar solo in the middle of the song. The guitar solo in the outro is accompanied by the main riff. Bill Szymczyk and Jody Boyer perform the backing vocals.
The pre-chorus section uses a call and response pattern.
- Call: Joe Walsh: "Lucky I'm sane after all I've been through"
- Response: Bill Szymczyk: "Everybody say, 'I'm cool'"
- Response: Jody Boyer: "He's cool"
At the end of the LP, there is a clip of an inside joke stating "uh-oh, here comes a flock of waa waas", recorded from inside the studio. After the music has faded away into silence, there's a 10-second gap before the inside joke. That inside joke would also be included at the end of disc one of the Eagles' box set, Selected Works: 1972–1999. Made after Walsh had joined the Eagles, "Life's Been Good" was incorporated into that group's concert repertoire, appearing in shows at the time as well as reunion tours. It remains a staple of classic rock radio playlists.
During live shows, Joe Walsh is known to change lyrics, such as 'Lock the doors in case I'm attacked' to 'Lock the doors and watch the war in Iraq!' to 'I watch the Lakers, they suck without Shaq!' and, more recently, 'Lock the doors, and vote for Barack.' While performing the song with the Eagles, he changes the line 'They write me letters tell me I'm great' to 'They write me letters tell me Glenn's great' or 'They write me e-mails, tell me I'm great'. There is also a version on the 1980 Eagles Live album that's played occasionally on the radio where the lyrics are changed to "I have a limo, ride in the trunk, I lock the doors in case I get drunk" as well as, "They write Tim letters, tell Glenn Don's great."
Also in the live version, the line "I go to parties some times until four. It's hard to leave when you can't find the door" was changed to "It's hard to leave when you can't find some more.".
[edit] Chart performance
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[1] | 12 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles[2] | 11 |
| Irish Singles Chart[3] | 13 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart[4] | 32 |
| UK Singles Chart[5] | 14 |
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Joe Walsh > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p5785/charts-awards/billboard-singles. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
- ^ "RPM Volume 29 No. 22, August 26, 1978". RPM. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.4638a&volume=29&issue=22&issue_dt=August%2026%201978&type=1. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
- ^ "irishcharts.ie search results". http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
- ^ "charts.org.nz - Joe Walsh - Life's Been Good". http://charts.org.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Joe+Walsh&titel=Life%27s+Been+Good&cat=s. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
- ^ "Chart Stats - Joe Walsh - Life's Been Good". http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=7836. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
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