“Good journalism”: The drug smuggling anthem that made Glenn Frey proud
Of all the storytelling qualities of the Eagles, their ability to hold a mirror up to society wasn’t their defining one. In fact, they were less interested in mirrors and more focused on the world of windows, showcasing a world of sun-soaked opulence that was exclusively available to the Californian elite.
That being said, a very core reality of that period was excessive drug use. In fact, drugs were a fundamental and celebrated element of 1970s music and fuelled the sort of optimism the Eagles were so brilliant at portraying.
Take a look at what is largely considered as one of their standout hits ‘Life In The Fast Lane’. The title alone provokes the sort of slick-haired idealism of rock and roll living, and for good reason. The very genesis of the song came from Frey’s own experience with the sort of foot-to-the-floor lifestyle that dominated ’70s hedonism.
“The true story is: I was riding in a car with a drug dealer – a guy we used to call ‘The Count’ because his count was never very good,” Frey once shared.
“We were driving out to an Eagles poker game,” he explained. “I was in the passenger seat. He moved over to the left lane and started driving 75-80 miles per hour. I said, ‘Hey, man, slow down.’ He goes, ‘Hey, man, it’s life in the fast lane.’ And I thought, ‘Oh, my God, what a title.’ I didn’t write it down. I didn’t have to. Joe started playing a riff at rehearsal one day, and I said, ‘That’s ‘Life in the Fast Lane.’”
Like all the narrative arcs of drug-addled celebrities, change was soon around the corner. When Frey embarked on his solo career in the 1980s, his song subjects were less about Hollywood excess and more about introspection, love and of course, heartbreak. While modern celebrities use the ice bath as their bad-boy-come-clean marketing tool, for Frey it was a haircut and pensive press shots.
It became rather ironic when, in 1984, he turned his gaze to the war on drugs. With Ronald Reagan’s administration banding the term around at free will, the nuance of drug use particularly within its use of urban areas was replaced by divisive and simple language, creating somewhat of a good vs evil complex.
So, as someone who viewed his decade-long drug career with the Eagles as time at the conflict coalface, Frey thought he’d turn his hand at writing a tune about the topic. “I’ve wanted to write a song about drug smuggling for a long time, but I’m glad I waited for this one,” he said, “It says everything I wanted to say on the subject.”
His song ‘Smuggler’s Blues’ tells the story of a drug deal turned sour. While it submits to the sensationalism of drug and gun imagery, it’s somewhat of a more nuanced take from Frey, trying to inject some sympathy into the discourse by singing, “I’m sorry it went down like this.”
“I’m proud of the lyrics,” he said, viewing the track as an important catalyst for societal conversation, adding, “It’s good journalism”.
