Life's Been Good (1978) 10/26/20

Remember: Starting Wednesday, I will begin commemorating 1 FULL YEAR of “Great Songs of the '70s” by revisiting the first 4 songs from a year ago—with more background info and trivia---before heading into a brand new year of highlighted music from the decade! But first:

Today's “Great Song of the '70s” is one of a kind—unless you can name another rock/blues/reggae hybrid with satirical lyrics that are mostly autobiographical.

Joe Walsh's “Life's Been Good” originally appeared as an 8-minute poke at rock and roll excess on his 1978 album, “But Seriously, Folks.” For radio airplay, it was edited down to 4:40 and released as a single. Although it didn't make the Top 10 anywhere in the world, it came awfully close: #11 in Canada, #12 in the US, #13 in Ireland, and #14 in the UK.

1979's Rolling Stone Record Guide called it, “maybe the most important statement of rock stardom of the 1970s.”

It was later used in the films “FM” and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.”

For the record, some of the true autobiographical references included lyrics about Walsh's Mazerati 5000 GT, the fact that he owned a home but lived in hotels—where he had walls torn out to make more room--and his office with gold records on the wall.

Trivia: Walsh was already a member of the Eagles when this song was released—and it became a staple at Eagles concerts for years.

“Life's Been Good” for Joe Walsh...as well as fans and radio listeners who helped make it a “Great Song of 1978!”

Single version:

Original Album version: