lifesbeengood

Post-Bernie Leadon Eagle‘s pinch hitter, Joe Walsh, mounted his run for the best rock punchline of the 70s on this day in 1978, when his mock-ballad jam, “Life’s Been Good,” entered the Billboard Hot 100 charts at #71.

Remaining there for 15 weeks and peaking at #12, people knew two things among many about Walsh that summer — that he had a Maserati that did 185, and life’s been good to him so far, which, when strewn out with a Big Star-meets-early Bowie now quintessential rock sheen, and contemplative Moog, kerplunking bridge, is up there with Spinal Tap as a remembrance of an era of hotel-destroying, limo-driving, mansion-owning excess that just isn’t exploited the same these days. Budding arena rock stars, take reflective note:

Lucky I’m sane after all I’ve been through

‘Everybody sing I’m cool’

‘He’s cool’

I can’t complain but sometimes I still do

Life’s been good to me so far