Tales of the Eagles' legendary arguments, rambunctious behind-the-scenes hijinks, and other off-the-rails goings-on in their youth have been circulating for years. Per faroutmagazine.co.uk, for example, Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath allegedly said the Eagles left about a pound of cocaine in the board" of a recording studio they had used. According to the outlet, "...[T]he Eagles were party monsters and even called their after-parties 'the thrid encore' to fits of giggles and delight."
Videos by Wide Open Country
The influence and presence of drugs supposedly came into play on one of the band's iconic songs. Don Henley reportedly referred to cocaine as a "writing tool" then conceded that it "brought out the worst in everyone."
'Life In The Fast Lane' Was A Phrase That Seemed To Describe The Band Members Themselves
So many of the Eagles' songs are ones that we know by heart - "Peaceful Easy Feeling," "Hotel California," "Lyin' Eyes," and "New Kid in Town." Another renowned Eagles track is "Life in the Fast Lane." Per the outlet, "The song was originally penned around a riff Joe Walsh would use to warm up; it was jointly written by Henley and Glenn Frey...."
Frey said this about the track. "It wasn't really a statement about the guys in the band. Or about anybody in particular - just it's kind of disturbing to see the extremes that the bourgeois jet set will involve themselves in. For instance, disco almost turned into a lifestyle, and it's such a non-meaningful thing on which to base one's life."
Joe Walsh Commented On The Song As It Related To The Eagles
Walsh was frank in his assessment of how the band was living life in the fast lane themselves. "Yeah, that's probably true, and I think it was healthy, though, that we realised that running around and parties and fast cars are really not the answer - it's kind of a shallow way to approach why we're on this planet, and it probably came as a band consciousness."
The Title Allegedly Came From An Experience That Don Henley Had When He Was With A Drug Dealer
Per the outlet via The History of the Eagles, a twelve-year-old documentary, Henley recounted this "fast lane" experience. "I was riding shotgun in a Corvette with a drug dealer on the way to a poker game. The next thing I know, we're doing 90. Holding! [cocaine] Big time! I say, 'Hey man!' He grins and goes, 'Life in the fast lane!' I thought, 'Now there's a song title.'"
