Life in the Fast Lane Lyrics
[Verse 1]
He was a hard-headed man, he was brutally handsome
And she was terminally pretty
She held him up and he held her for ransom
In the heart of the cold, cold city
He had a nasty reputation as a cruel dude
They said he was ruthless, they said he was crude
They had one thing in common, they were good in bed
She'd say, "Faster, faster, the lights are turnin' red"
[Chorus]
Life in the fast lane, surely make you lose your mind
Life in the fast lane, huh
[Post-Chorus]
Are you with me so far?
[Verse 2]
Eager for action, hot for the game
The coming attraction, the drop of a name
They knew all the right people, they took all the right pills
They threw outrageous parties, they paid heavenly bills
There were lines on the mirror, lines on her face
She pretended not to notice, she was caught up in the race
Out every evening, until it was light
He was too tired to make it, she was too tired to fight about it
He was a hard-headed man, he was brutally handsome
And she was terminally pretty
She held him up and he held her for ransom
In the heart of the cold, cold city
He had a nasty reputation as a cruel dude
They said he was ruthless, they said he was crude
They had one thing in common, they were good in bed
She'd say, "Faster, faster, the lights are turnin' red"
[Chorus]
Life in the fast lane, surely make you lose your mind
Life in the fast lane, huh
[Post-Chorus]
Are you with me so far?
[Verse 2]
Eager for action, hot for the game
The coming attraction, the drop of a name
They knew all the right people, they took all the right pills
They threw outrageous parties, they paid heavenly bills
There were lines on the mirror, lines on her face
She pretended not to notice, she was caught up in the race
Out every evening, until it was light
He was too tired to make it, she was too tired to fight about it
[Chorus]
Life in the fast lane, surely make you lose your mind
Life in the fast lane, huh
Life in the fast lane, everything all the time
Life in the fast lane, uh-huh
[Instrumental Bridge]
[Verse 3]
Blowin' and burnin', blinded by thirst
They didn't see the stop sign, took a turn for the worst
She said, "Listen, baby, you can hear the engine ring"
"We've been up and down this highway, haven't seen a goddamn thing"
He said, "Call the doctor, I think I'm gonna crash"
"The doctor say he's comin', but you gotta pay in cash"
They went rushin' down that freeway, messed around and got lost
They didn't care, they were just dyin' to get off and it was
[Chorus]
Life in the fast lane, surely make you lose your mind
Life in the fast lane, uh-huh
Life in the fast lane, everything all the time
Life in the fast lane, uh-huh
[Outro]
Life in the fast lane
Life in the fast lane
Life in the fast lane, surely make you lose your mind
Life in the fast lane, huh
Life in the fast lane, everything all the time
Life in the fast lane, uh-huh
[Instrumental Bridge]
[Verse 3]
Blowin' and burnin', blinded by thirst
They didn't see the stop sign, took a turn for the worst
She said, "Listen, baby, you can hear the engine ring"
"We've been up and down this highway, haven't seen a goddamn thing"
He said, "Call the doctor, I think I'm gonna crash"
"The doctor say he's comin', but you gotta pay in cash"
They went rushin' down that freeway, messed around and got lost
They didn't care, they were just dyin' to get off and it was
[Chorus]
Life in the fast lane, surely make you lose your mind
Life in the fast lane, uh-huh
Life in the fast lane, everything all the time
Life in the fast lane, uh-huh
[Outro]
Life in the fast lane
Life in the fast lane
About
Genius Annotation
“Life in the Fast Lane,” a staple song of classic rock stations, tells the story of a couple finding solace in excess, but taking it to the edge. This is a recurring theme throughout Hotel California.
In the documentary History of The Eagles Glenn Frey mentioned that this song’s title was inspired an experience of a drug dealer doing 90 MPH.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
- 1.Take It Easy
- 3.Already Gone
- 7.Witchy Woman
- 9.Outlaw Man
- 11.James Dean
- 12.Saturday Night
- 13.On the Border
- 15.Wasted Time
- 17.Lyin’ Eyes
- 19.Desperado
- 21.Best of My Love
- 22.New Kid in Town
- 24.The Sad Café
- 31.Hotel California
- 32.Born to Boogie
- 33.In the City
- 34.Get Over It
- 36.Too Many Hands
- 37.Life in the Fast Lane
- 38.The Long Run
- 40.The Last Resort
Credits
Producer
Writers
Recorded At
Criteria Studios, Miami and Record Plant Studios, Los Angeles
Released on
December 6, 1976
Songs That Sample Life in the Fast Lane
Life in the Fast Lane Live Performances
Life in the Fast Lane Translations
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