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
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
Selected Works: 1972–1999
- Long Run Leftovers
- Hotel California (Live Millennium Concert Version)
- Wasted Time (Reprise)
- Random Victims Part 3
- Saturday Night
- Outlaw Man
- After the Thrill Is Gone
- Take It to the Limit
- Lyin’ Eyes
- Too Many Hands
- One of These Nights
- The Sad Café
- One of These Nights (Intro)
- Victim of Love (Live Millennium Concert Version)
- Born to Boogie
- Best of My Love (Live Millennium Concert Version)
- All She Wants To Do Is Dance (Live Millennium Concert Version)
- Funk 49 (Live Millennium Concert Version)
- Dirty Laundry (Live Millennium Concert Version)
- Funky New Year (Live Millennium Concert Version)
- Those Shoes (Live Millennium Concert Version)
- Take It to the Limit (Live Millennium Concert Version)
- Ol ’55 (Live Millennium Concert Version)
- Please Come Home For Christmas (Live Millennium Concert Version)
- Peaceful Easy Feeling (Live Millennium Concert Version)
- King of Hollywood
- The Disco Strangler
- Love Will Keep Us Alive
- Witchy Woman
- Tequila Sunrise
- James Dean
- Desperado
- Take It Easy
- The Last Resort
- Try and Love Again
- Pretty Maids All in a Row
- Wasted Time
- Life in the Fast Lane
- New Kid in Town
- Already Gone
- Peaceful Easy Feeling
- In the City
- I Can’t Tell You Why
- The Long Run
- Best of My Love
- On the Border
- Midnight Flyer
- Doolin-Dalton
- Train Leaves Here This Morning
- Heartache Tonight
- Get Over It
- Hollywood Waltz
- Hotel California
- 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)
- Hotel California
- Take It Easy
- Desperado
- One of These Nights
- Life in the Fast Lane
- Take It to the Limit
- New Kid in Town
- The Last Resort
- Lyin’ Eyes
- Wasted Time
- Tequila Sunrise
- Best of My Love
- Peaceful Easy Feeling
- Witchy Woman
- I Can’t Tell You Why
- Please Come Home for Christmas
- Already Gone
- The Long Run
- Doolin-Dalton
- Love Will Keep Us Alive
- Victim of Love
- Pretty Maids All in a Row
- Heartache Tonight
- The Heart of the Matter