Life In The Fast Lane

by

Eagles

Album: Hotel California      Released: 1976

US Chart: 11     

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Songfacts:  You can leave comments about the song at the bottom of the page.

Joe Walsh had the guitar riff and Don Henley wrote the lyrics about a man and woman that had everything but lost it because of their lifestyle. Henley sang lead. (thanks, Bill - Johnstown, PA)

This is often misinterpreted as a song glamorizing the Rock And Roll lifestyle. Henley meant the song to be a warning about the dangers of drugs, alcohol and bad decisions. The Eagles formed in Los Angeles, where many people get caught up in a lifestyle of excess.

After this came out, the phrase "Life in the fast lane" became commonly used to describe a jet-set lifestyle.

This was the first Eagles album Joe Walsh played on. His guitar work gave them a strong sound that helped make the album very successful.

This song was rumored to be about Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac fame. They were a couple who broke up when they became famous, although Lindsey was not physically abusive to Stevie. Nicks dated Henley after she broke up with Buckingham. (thanks, Tracy - Madison, WI)

The lyrics, "Lines on the mirror, lines on her face." describes cocaine on a mirror that was about to be ingested. (thanks, Ray - Stockton, NJ)

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Comments:

Has anyone heard of Jerry Sloan as it would pertain to him writting ANY Eagles song or being a co-writer. He's in Indiana and "claims" to have toured with them as an extra musician...Anyone? I don't want to call the guy a liar just because I haven't heard of him.
- Jake, Hartford City, IN

A perfect song. One for the ages. 'Nuf said. There's that early line between verses that the lyrics page has as "Are you with me so far?" I always thought it was fun to think it was Joe Walsh saying "How'm I doing so far?" In fact, it sounds more like that. Y'now, Joe asking us (and his new bandmates) "How do you like these riffs? I think I'm doin' pretty good." However, I have to admit, it just sounds like Don Henley.
- Guy, Woodinville, WA

To clarify - The song couldn't be about Stevie and Joe. The song came out in 1976 and their three year affair was from 1983 to 1986. So I'm sure it's about Lindsey and Stevie. Jennifer, Phila, PA
- Jennifer, Philadelphia, PA

Cocaine technically is insufflated, a more descriptive verb than ingested which does not refer to any method inparticular but is generally understood to be associated with eating. Lines on the mirror go up the nostril, not down the hatch.
- G, Potomac, MD

I really think the song is about Joe Walsh and Stevie Nicks and how drugs ruined their relation- ship and almost cost them their lives. Any truth to that?
- John, Las Vegas, NV

This song is compelling because of its relevance to the late 20th Century urban and suburban lifetstyles of those caught up in the youth culture. It is about drinking, drugging, and smoking to excess, mixed with social alienation and using technology (guitars and music) to substitute for meaningful human relationships. While NASCAR is a symptom of that malaise, it is improbable that the Eagles had the xenophobic rednecks of NASCAR in mind when they first penned and performed this song.
- Larry, New York City, NY

This song is very rich with its guitar!!! Joe was the best thing that happened to The Eagles
- Allie, Pine Knob, MI

Life in the Fast Lane is one of my favorites. The Eagles rock!!!! I think of this as one of the most appropriate classic hits for listening to in the car. I mean, think about it: "Life in the Fast Lane" gives me the impression of driving on the interstate without a traffic jam... or, more accurately by the way it sounds, Nascar racing. The Eagles are really good at making Classic hits whose lyrics people wouldn't just sing with or whose beat people wouldn't just dance to, but that people would give equal attention to both. To me, the lyrics to sing with and the beat to dance to are of equal importance. Thank you, Eagles, for suiting me like that in you work. Eagle pride!!!!
- andrew, birmingham, United States

the question mark replacing the apostrophe is not intentional. It is the text coding for this website that causes that.
- Patrick, Tallapoosa, GA

Johnny from la wat r u talkin about. this is the best eagles song ever.
- Mischa, Winnipeg

How come people use ? instead of ' i've never gotten that?
- Johnny, Los Angeles, CA

Gee guys you all have better memories than I do....I was always told that if you remembered the 60's and 70's you weren't there......It was life in the fast lane with my beautiful mary jane as my co pilot and coke my navigator in the back seat no matter if you were rich or famous.....One thing I do remember the concerts back then lasted all weekend long not like hearding cattle to slaughter like they do today.....
- Bill, Houston, TX

This is a song that transcends its time like no other Eagles song because you can enjoy it without understanding the '70's double entendre. Let's clear something up though. If you are old enough to remember, you know it's absolutley wrong that 'after this song came out, the phrase "Life in the fast lane" became commonly used to describe a jet-set lifestyle.' Like many great songs, it was built around a cliche, a phrase we heard all the time with that exact same meaning. The innovation was that there had never been a song by that title, never something to exemplify the term, and the lyrics and music were brilliant.
- Fave, Farmingdale, NY

gleen frey was the one who really got the idea to write this song, not don henley (as was mentioned below). i mean, he even SAID so himself when he was interviewed for the "best of" inserts. otherwise: great song about the wheeling and dealing of losing life to drugs, alcohol and whatever else they wanted to do.
- Sara MacKenzie, Middle of Nowhere, FL

I love this song, it sounds great and has that nice strong guitaring.
- Sam, Thompsons, TX

great song and it definatly makes me hyper and i lose my mind when i hear it. very good song
- meagan, baton rouge, LA

One of pop music's most prominent uses of flanger effect comes during the final repeal of the chorus.
- Rob, Santa Monica, CA

This Eagles tune was used in the film, "FM".
- Christine, Chicago, IL

here' what Glenn had to say about the song: Glenn: This began with a Joe Walsh riff he had that signature guitar part. I had the title. The true story is: I was riding in a car with a drug dealer, a guy we used to call "The Count," because his count was never very good [laughs]. We were driving out to an Eagles poker game. I was in the passenger seat. He moved over to the left lane and started driving 75-80 miles per hour. I said, "Hey, man, slow down." He goes, "Hey, man, it?s life in the fast lane." And I thought, "Oh, my God, what a title." I didn?t write it down. I didn?t have to. Joe started playing a riff at rehearsal one day, and I said, "That?s ?Life In The Fast Lane.?" So we started writing a song about the couple that had everything and did everything and lost the meaning of everything. Lifestyles of the rich and miserable. I think the best line is "We?ve been up and down this highway, haven?t seen a God-damn thing." That pretty much summarized the journey these people were on rich as hell, gettin? high, got everything they want, and yet they?re living in a spiritual ghetto. That?s good news to the common man! Rich folks who are absolutely miserable and most of them are. I really like this record. Plus it made a statement: Joe Walsh was officially in the band.
- julia, london, England

To add more to the story Glenn was driving with a drug dealer on the highway when all of a sudden the drug dealer steps on the gas and goes up to like i dont know maybe 100 something and Glenn was like woah man slow down and the drug dealer just turned to him and said hey man its life in the fast lane thats all and Gleen was inspired
- Austin, St. Louis , MO

Glenn Frey came up with the title while riding driving down the highway with a drug dealer.
- Peter, Montrose, DC

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