Eagles

Released: December 6, 1976

Songwriter: Don Henley Glenn Frey Joe Walsh

Producer: Bill Szymczyk

[Verse 1]
He was a hard-headed man, he was brutally handsome
And she was terminally pretty
She held him up and he held her for ransom
In the heart of the cold, cold city
He had a nasty reputation as a cruel dude
They said he was ruthless, they said he was crude
They had one thing in common, they were good in bed
She'd say, "Faster, faster, the lights are turnin' red"

[Chorus]
Life in the fast lane, surely make you lose your mind
Life in the fast lane, huh

[Post-Chorus]
Are you with me so far?

[Verse 2]
Eager for action, hot for the game
The coming attraction, the drop of a name
They knew all the right people, they took all the right pills
They threw outrageous parties, they paid heavenly bills
There were lines on the mirror, lines on her face
She pretended not to notice, she was caught up in the race
Out every evening, until it was light
He was too tired to make it, she was too tired to fight about it

[Chorus]
Life in the fast lane, surely make you lose your mind
Life in the fast lane, huh
Life in the fast lane, everything all the time
Life in the fast lane, uh-huh

[Instrumental Bridge]

[Verse 3]
Blowin' and burnin', blinded by thirst
They didn't see the stop sign, took a turn for the worst
She said, "Listen, baby, you can hear the engine ring"
"We've been up and down this highway, haven't seen a goddamn thing"
He said, "Call the doctor, I think I'm gonna crash"
"The doctor say he's comin', but you gotta pay in cash"
They went rushin' down that freeway, messed around and got lost
They didn't care, they were just dyin' to get off and it was

[Chorus]
Life in the fast lane, surely make you lose your mind
Life in the fast lane, uh-huh
Life in the fast lane, everything all the time
Life in the fast lane, uh-huh

[Outro]
Life in the fast lane
Life in the fast lane

one of the most popular and successful bands of all time. Originating in Los Angeles in 1971, its founding members were Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner. They saw the coming and going of various members, including Frey who passed away in 2016.

Eagles were a success from the start. Their eponymous debut album, Eagles (1972), saw three singles enter the Top 40: “Take It Easy”, “Witchy Woman”, and “Peaceful Easy Feeling”, reaching respective peaks of 12, 9, and 22.

At this point, however, the Eagles were just getting started. Their second album, Desperado (1973), featured two of their most popular songs of all “Tequila Sunrise” and title track “Desperado”. Additionally, the other songs were critically acclaimed for other reasons, such as Leadon’s performance on “Saturday Night”. You’d be wrong if you thought the Eagles were settling down after back-to-back triumphs. Their next album, On the Border (1974), had on it their first “Best of My Love”.

more tracks from the album

Hotel California

From the albums

Hotel California (1976)
FM (The Original Movie Soundtrack) (1978)
Eagles Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (1982)
The Eagle Has Landed (1994)
Hell Freezes Over (1994)
Selected Works: 1972–1999 (2000)
The Very Best of Eagles (2003)

Eagles popular songs

Life in the Fast LaneEagles

Eagles

Hotel California