Life's Been Good: Difference between revisions
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At the end of the song, (cannot be heard on the radio version) 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 30-second gap before the inside joke. |
At the end of the song, (cannot be heard on the radio version) 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 30-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: 1972-2000''. |
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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. |
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. |
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Revision as of 22:19, 9 March 2008
| "Life's Been Good" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Theme from Boat Weirdos" |
"Life's Been Good" is a 1978 track 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. In it, he satirically reflects on the rockstar lifestyle ("My Maserati does 185 / 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."
"Life's Been Good" has a notable style: a mid-tempo reggae like groove marked by bedrock guitar riffs, synthesizers, a Jew's Harp, and a confused delivery. Walsh's ARP Odyssey riff accompanies the guitar solo in the middle of the song. The outro-solo is longer than most radio stations allow. Bill Szymczyk and Jody Boyer perform the backing vocals. This song 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 song, (cannot be heard on the radio version) 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 30-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: 1972-2000.
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.
Trivia
- The song was featured on the soundtrack of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
- In the NBC television series News Radio, the character Jimmy James decides to run for President and says he'll use this song as his campaign theme.
- A modified version of this song was sung at the end of the funeral service of Uncle Moe in the Duckman episode "Love! Anger! Kvetching!"
- On Eagles Live, the lyrics were altered in places. The line "I have a limo, ride in the back, I lock the doors in case I'm attacked" is replaced with "I have a limo, ride in the trunk, I lock the doors in case I get drunk", and has also been sung live as " I lock the doors and watch the war in Iraq". The line "Everybody's so different, I haven't changed" is replaced with "Everybody's so different, we're still insane". The line " They write me letters, tell me I'm great." is also sometimes replaced with "They write me letters, tell me Glenn's great.", referring to Glenn Frey of The Eagles.