Outside

Album: Sonic Highways (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This psychedelic road anthem was written when the Foo Fighters visited Rancho De La Luna Studios in the Joshua Tree Californian desert. The session included Joe Walsh and the band's Masters of Reality buddy Chris Goss, who featured on the soundtrack for Dave Grohl's 2013 Sound City documentary film.
  • The collaboration with Walsh came about through a mutual friend. "I know them, my drummer when I play solo, Drew Hester, is a great friend of all of those guys, so I hooked up through him," the former Eagles guitarist told Billboard magazine.
  • Taylor Hawkins considers Joe Walsh's guitar solo to be Sonic Highways' champagne moment. "We gave him a lot of space where he can really open up, the Foos' drummer told Q magazine. "If you're gonna have Joe Walsh on your album, you're not gonna just give him four bars. You're gonna give him 40 bars and take us out into the f--kin desert man!"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Rufus Wainwright

Rufus WainwrightSongwriter Interviews

Rufus Wainwright on "Hallelujah," his album Unfollow The Rules, and getting into his "lyric trance" on 12-hour walks.

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New York

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New YorkSong Writing

Can you be married in one country but not another? Only if you're part of a gay couple. One of the first famous singers to come out as a lesbian, Janis wrote a song about it.

David Sancious

David SanciousSongwriter Interviews

Keyboard great David Sancious talks about his work with Sting, Seal, Springsteen, Clapton and Aretha, and explains what quantum physics has to do with making music.

Who Wrote That Song?

Who Wrote That Song?Music Quiz

Do you know who wrote Patti Smith's biggest hit? How about the Grease theme song? See if you can match the song to the writer.

Phone Booth Songs

Phone Booth SongsSong Writing

Phone booths are nearly extinct, but they provided storylines for some of the most profound songs of the pre-cell phone era.

Alan Merrill of The Arrows

Alan Merrill of The ArrowsSongwriter Interviews

In her days with The Runaways, Joan Jett saw The Arrows perform "I Love Rock And Roll," which Alan Merrill co-wrote - that story and much more from this glam rock pioneer.