The song Glenn Frey was always proud of writing: “It’s good journalism”
Artists writing about real-life events, personal stories, or true tales is nothing new. Art has always been built on the foundation of observation, as creative people look around at their world and find themselves inspired to put it down in writing. But for one song, Glenn Frey took it even further, declaring it less a piece of music and more a piece of “good journalism” that he was always proud of.
From his time as a founding member of the Eagles, Frey was already a well-oiled machine when it came to vivid storytelling lyricism. On tracks like ‘Hotel California’ or ‘Witchy Woman,’ the words build an entire world populated by fascinating characters and strange places. Alongside their beloved classic rock sound, the band was just as beloved for their lyrics, which regularly feel like fully immersive stories.
So when he moved onto his solo career during the Eagles hiatus from 1980 to 1994, he already had the skills to write something special. Sure, he also wrote typically emotive tracks about the artistic cornerstones of love, lust and heartbreak. But he always seemed interested in going deeper, turning his sharp observation out into the world and using his work to go deep on more nuanced topics.
In 1984, he attempted to tackle the war on drugs. Trying to turn such a layered and difficult topic into a catchy song is no easy feat, but the subject was everywhere. While Ronald Reagan was in office, the drug trade became a huge political issue. It’s also always been a huge musical issue as artists, time and time again, have become the target of drug raids or intense police observation, routinely placed as a kind of gateway between the youth and the dark world of narcotics. America, especially, has always been fascinated by the drug trade, with movies and TV shows centred on the topic, but until Frey turned his pen to the subject for ‘Smuggler’s Blues’, there was yet to be a theme tune for the conversation.
Who better to take on the topic than Frey? As white-collar America continued to fret over the impact the drug trade was having, while America’s minority communities were discriminated against in the name of prejudiced crackdowns, Frey’s classic rock style and deeply American spirit as part of one of the country’s most beloved bands, positioned him perfectly to take it on.
As a rock star, Frey also had a front-row seat in the trade, as he admitted, “You don’t spend 15 years in rock and roll without coming in contact with entrepreneurs.” In a conversation with Behind The Hits, he revealed it was a topic he’d been trying to find the words for some time now. “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.”
The song tells the story of a drug deal gone bad, with plenty of sensationalised images often related to the topic, like guns, agents, and Class As. But Frey’s lens does feel more observational and reported as he presents the tale with little judgement or side picking as he equally shares his upset towards casualties on both sides, singing, “I’m sorry it went down like this.”
That’s a fact that he remained incredibly happy with. “I’m proud of the lyrics,” he said, declaring the track to be an impactful piece of reporting rather than throwaway art, as he added, “It’s good journalism”.
