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Joe Walsh — Life's Been Good
Album: But Seriously Folks
Avg rating:
7.5

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1725









Released: 1978
Length: 7:57
Plays (last 30 days): 0
I have a mansion, forget the price
Ain't never been there, they tell me it's nice
I live in hotels, tear out the walls
I have accountants pay for it all

They say I'm crazy but I have a good time
I'm just looking for clues at the scene of the crime
Life's been good to me so far

My Maserati does one-eighty-five
I lost my license, now I don't drive
I have a limo, ride in the back
I lock the doors in case I'm attacked

I make hit records, my fans they can't wait
They write me letters, tell me I'm great
So I got me an office, gold records on the wall
Just leave a message, maybe I'll call

Lucky I'm sane after all I've been through
(Everybody say I'm cool) (He's cool)
I can't complain but sometimes I still do
Life's been good to me so far

I go to parties, sometimes until four
It's hard to leave when you can't find the door
It's tough to handle this fortune and fame
Everybody's so different, I haven't changed

They say I'm lazy but it takes all my time
(Everybody say oh, yeah) (Oh, yeah)
I keep on going, guess I'll never know why
Life's been good to me so far
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Comments (84)add comment
 lily34 wrote:

i've been on a huge james gang and joe walsh kick this last month. i've always liked his stuff, but i didn't love it like i do now.



The man has serious skills, right?
i've been on a huge james gang and joe walsh kick this last month. i've always liked his stuff, but i didn't love it like i do now.
This was an awesome cassette!
Love these golden oldies.  We can't have RP be all Florence & The Machine and Alt-J.
a Co-worker just bought a Maserati. In this market, it was a reasonable deal at $29,000 for a 2014 model
 mjlucas wrote:

Still have this album on vinyl.  Remember, those big square things with the fragile awesome round things inside?  Loved it then, still do.



most years, they press more of those than they do CDs. 
Still have this album on vinyl.  Remember, those big square things with the fragile awesome round things inside?  Loved it then, still do.
I bet this guy is a blast to hang around with...
 



That was weird, did this just repeat?
That was weird, did this just repeat?

 
 expatlar wrote:
I sure like his sense of humor. Probably a very fun guy to hang out with. :-)
 
Drew Carey seems to think so.
 bruceandjenna wrote:

That was weird, did this just repeat?
 



That was weird, did this just repeat?
 mdzink wrote:
Did I only just notice that the lead vocals are way back in the mix? Or is there something wrong with this recording/rip?
 

Yup, Think it's meant to sound like that, almost as if he's at the other side of a room at a party shouting at ya 
Did I only just notice that the lead vocals are way back in the mix? Or is there something wrong with this recording/rip?
Joe explains how this song came together:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
 kcar wrote:

A re-bump and a thank-you. It's funny but IIRC this movie got panned when it came for having a dumb plot, whereas today (if FM radio still had any relevance) the story might impress critics. Maybe America really is an idiocracy. 

OK, I just read the summary on Wikipedia: it's a dumb story for all time. Good music, though! 

 
Maybe?
 loungelizard48 wrote:
That was weird, did this just repeat?
 
That was weird, did this just repeat?
 LPCity wrote:
I don't say this about too many songs but, do we ever really need to hear this song ever again?
 

Endlessly.
Love the synth & guitar interlude .
I have fond memories of my father playing this as loudly as possible when driving me home from school, revving his Citroen GS mercilessly along the various ratruns of South London.  This, Floyd, Dire Straits...  happy days.
 LPCity wrote:
I don't say this about too many songs but, do we ever really need to hear this song ever again?
 
Yes, we do!
Bunch of Wah Wahs!!!  If you have this song, let it play 30 seconds after it is over.  Great surprise.
 LaurieinTucson wrote:
skilled musician, and funny guy
 
So funny, i smile everytime it plays. it's hard to leave when you can't find the door !
 roadie wrote:
America's coolest ham radio operator. 
 

Callsign?
That was weird, did this just repeat?
Best song live on the Eagles tour in 1978 @ Rideau Carleton Raceway in Ottawa. Hot summer night & great dubes.
The worst (or best) munchies ever.
If this song were never played again, it would not be missed.  Overplayed overplayed overplayed, and (psst - it was not a great song to begin with!) combined with JW's nasal singing voice.  Annoyingly  bleh.  Wipe it from the records please. 
America's coolest ham radio operator. 
skilled musician, and funny guy
Great lyrics! {#Smile}
 icuski2 wrote:

Yes, about as often as you need oxygen.

 
If hearing this song is a source of oxygen, I endured enough of it from 1978-1980 to last me another forty years.  Not a bad tune however.
When I saw Joe Walsh do this song live a couple years ago, he changed the line "they write me letters" to "they send me emails". Funny guy.
 bluedot wrote:
"I can't complain, but sometimes I still do..."

 
This is my favorite way to respond to "How have you been?"
Clever song we have heard thousands of times.  There are many other great songs on this album. 
 LPCity wrote:
I don't say this about too many songs but, do we ever really need to hear this song ever again?

 
Yes, about as often as you need oxygen.
Fun song!
 
I sure like his sense of humor. Probably a very fun guy to hang out with. :-)
I don't say this about too many songs but, do we ever really need to hear this song ever again?
YEAH...That summer...the long hot summer of '78, when this was all over the FM waves...that mad guitar...THAT WEED WE ALL HAD!
 kcar wrote:

A re-bump and a thank-you. It's funny but IIRC this movie got panned when it came for having a dumb plot, whereas today (if FM radio still had any relevance) the story might impress critics. Maybe America really is an idiocracy. 

OK, I just read the summary on Wikipedia: it's a dumb story for all time. Good music, though! 
 

Idiocracy......what a wonderful word for what's going on in America right now. Thank you.
My all time favorite song. One of the first times I remember hearing rock music as a young kid in the late 70s. And I liked it!
 LaurieinTucson wrote:
I miss album covers

 
{#Dance}
I miss album covers
Still listen to this record often....ahhhh...the 70's{#Bounce}
Probably the most honest rock song ever recorded.
Fall of 1978, first year of college... great times!
 AhhtheMusic wrote:
Everything good about this tune!  {#Music}

 
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
Tomorrow is a very good song (deep cut) from this great LP.  Both sides are good. 
 AhhtheMusic wrote:
Everything good about this tune!  {#Music}

 
Killer guitar {#Guitarist}
Everything good about this tune!  {#Music}
Joe's a survivor and a serious friend of Bill W.
God bless him for serving others
Was listening to yet another crap Bob Marley song....hit PSD...and this came up.  Is this a great country or what?
Cool days man! Timmy Gang blasted this at his backyard beer-bash on his Monster record-playing Gigantor-sized system, pass that doobie this way, WOOO-HOO!!!  (ah youth)
 tragic_king wrote:
My Maserati does 185. I lost my license; now I don't drive.

Some of the best all-time lyrics of any song out there!

 
what about "I go to parties, sometimes until four. It's hard to leave when you can't find the door" LOL!
great songtext! {#Roflol}
The Bomber flies again!!!! Yeah baby!!!
My Maserati does 185. I lost my license; now I don't drive.

Some of the best all-time lyrics of any song out there!
 Steve wrote:

Here you go...



 
A re-bump and a thank-you. It's funny but IIRC this movie got panned when it came for having a dumb plot, whereas today (if FM radio still had any relevance) the story might impress critics. Maybe America really is an idiocracy. 

OK, I just read the summary on Wikipedia: it's a dumb story for all time. Good music, though! 

Reminds me of that long hot summer: young teenaged angst; weed the new and sacred thing; dreaming of cars, guitars and Romance
"I can't complain, but sometimes I still do..."
This tune reminds me of skating the pool bowls of The Endless Wave.  This cranked over the skatepark's PA system, a Dogtown deck and set of Kryptos and the world was as it should be.
I can feel my brain cells dying.
 lemmoth wrote:

So......... Is twice in the history of RP light rotation enough for you?

 
I hear this tune a few times a week during the ride home, but thankfully not here too often.  I didn't care much for it when it came out, but it's not a bad song really.
I often play the 'So What' LP.  It is a gem
Love this song from the opening. Classic driving music.

FM Soundtrack - there were some great tracks on that, had that one a few haircuts back. Some of the greats of the time lined up there: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FM_%28soundtrack%29
Everybody in my homeless camp loves this song...
There's a specific sector of heaven where they play this song in the foyer ... and you can pretend to have had a good life.
I once read a review of this album that mentioned the "oinking pig basslines" -- I've never been able to hear this since without picturing a porcine lumbering along. 
 kcar wrote:

Steve, the link to your image is busted. Think you meant "FM" (1978):



Never did see this. Kinda struck me at the time as "WKRP in Cincinnati" without Loni Anderson or a solid plot. But yeah the music was good IIRC. Didn't Steely Dan write "FM" for this movie?   

Normally I don't thrill to RP playing old FM warhorses like this. But Joe could really play the gi-tar. And hey, NeilBlanchard, 1 play a month isn't going to kill anyone. 

 
Here you go...


I'm about to re-enter the work force after spending the last year or so as a trophy husband. A lot of these lyrics really resonate with me. : )
ahh, the long version. Love it.
 Steve wrote:
OK Bill, it is a bit cheesy, but I loved this flick!
 


 
Steve, the link to your image is busted. Think you meant "FM" (1978):

Poster for 1978 movie

Never did see this. Kinda struck me at the time as "WKRP in Cincinnati" without Loni Anderson or a solid plot. But yeah the music was good IIRC. Didn't Steely Dan write "FM" for this movie?   

Normally I don't thrill to RP playing old FM warhorses like this. But Joe could really play the gi-tar. And hey, NeilBlanchard, 1 play a month isn't going to kill anyone. 
Rap lyrics {#Crown}
Awww, hell yeah! 
I love it and once per year for this is not going to hurt anyone !
 
Joe can still swing an axe - and a chainsaw.

 
 black321 wrote:
Somehow it's refreshing hearing a classic rock staple like this on RP.

 
That's the awesome thing about RP -  where the heck else? Answer Nowhere - will you here London Grammar and this back to back.
 NeilBlanchard wrote:
I think it is a fine song, but not one that stands up to heavy rotation.

 
So......... Is twice in the history of RP light rotation enough for you?
I have always loved this song. The whole album is a gem. 
I think it is a fine song, but not one that stands up to heavy rotation.
OK Bill, it is a bit cheesy, but I loved this flick!
 

I really like this; it just cracks me up.  I was thinking that I'd never heard this on RP before; which was confirmed when I saw there were no comments yet.  Grats on the novelty.
Somehow it's refreshing hearing a classic rock staple like this on RP.
How has this never been played on RP until now???!  Amazing tune!