A native of Wichita, Kansas, Walsh moved to Montclair, New Jersey and attended Montclair High School. He spent time in various bands playing around the Cleveland area while attending Kent State University, but came to widespread attention in 1969 after replacing Glen Schwartz as lead guitarist for the James Gang, an American power trio. Walsh was the standout of the band, noted for his innovative rhythm playing and creative guitar riffs. The James Gang had several minor hits and became an early AOR staple before Walsh left the group in 1971 for a career as a solo artist.
Walsh's solo debut was Barnstorm (1972). Its follow-up was The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get (1973). Several cuts from these albums, notably "Rocky Mountain Way", received heavy airplay and continue to be classic rock favorites.
After releasing another studio album and a live set, Walsh was invited to join the Eagles in 1976, replacing departing guitarist Bernie Leadon. He brought a harder-edged sound to the group, giving their light country rock sound a shot in the arm and kept the Eagles from becoming a country act altogether.
As the Eagles began to decline after the release of Hotel California, Walsh re-ignited his solo career with the well-received discs But Seriously Folks (1978) (which featured his hit comic depiction of rock stardom, "Life's Been Good") and There Goes the Neighborhood (1981). He continued to record and release albums throughout the 1980s. In 1989, Walsh recorded a MTV Unplugged with the RnB musician Dr. John, but musical trends had passed him by and he maintained a very low profile until the late-1990s Eagles reunion and tour. Walsh sang the US National Anthem at the beginning of Game 4 of the 1995 World Series. In 2004, Walsh performed live before a huge crowd at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in Texas.
A versatile guitarist, Walsh's abilities on acoustic, electric, and slide guitar have also made him well-regarded as a featured player or guest soloist; Walsh has recorded and performed with many other artists including Dan Fogelberg, Steve Winwood, The Who's John Entwistle and on the first two Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band tours.
Joe Walsh ran for President in the 1980 US Elections promising "free gas for all". In an interview for Planet Rock radio station he commented that he did this to raise people's awareness of the election. He felt that many Americans were not even aware that there was an election going on.
Some of his most recent compositions deal with his struggles with substance abuse.
Joe Walsh (WB6ACU) is an active amateur radio operator. Joe is also an active member and contributor of the ARRL, the National Association for Amateur Radio. Joe has contributed to many simmilar causes over the years.
All Night Laundry Mat Blues
Joe Walsh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Washing everything I own except my shoes
I got makeup round the collar
And it smells like sweat
A dollar in the drier
And it ain't dry yet
If you wear clothes, you got to pay the dues
Yes you do
Sing the all night Laundry Mat blues
The song All Night Laundry Mat Blues by Joe Walsh is a blues song that speaks to the struggles of doing laundry all night long. The singer in the song talks about having to wash everything they own, except for their shoes, in the laundry mat. They have makeup stains on their clothes and can smell sweat on them. They put a dollar in the dryer, but their clothes still aren't dry yet. The lyrics are relatable to anyone who has ever had to spend a long night doing laundry, and they capture the frustration that can come with doing such a mundane and repetitive task.
The song also has a deeper meaning, as it speaks to the idea that in life, we all have to "pay our dues". The singer in the song acknowledges that if you wear clothes, you have to wash them, and that's just a fact of life. This line speaks to the idea that in order to achieve success or happiness, we often have to do things that we don't necessarily enjoy or want to do. We have to "pay our dues" before we can reap the benefits of our hard work.
Overall, Joe Walsh's All Night Laundry Mat Blues is a fun and relatable song with a deeper message about the struggles and sacrifices we all must face in life.
Line by Line Meaning
I got the all night Laundry Mat blues
I'm feeling down because I'm stuck at the laundromat all night.
Washing everything I own except my shoes
I'm cleaning all of my clothes except for my shoes.
I got makeup round the collar
My shirt collar has makeup stains on it.
And it smells like sweat
My clothes are smelly and sweaty.
A dollar in the drier
I put a dollar in the dryer to dry my clothes.
And it ain't dry yet
However, my clothes are still damp after drying for a while.
If you wear clothes, you got to pay the dues
Doing laundry is a necessary task if you want clean clothes.
Sing the all night Laundry Mat blues
This is a repetitive, monotonous task that everyone has to do.
Yes you do
No one is exempt from doing laundry and experiencing this frustration.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOSEPH FIDLER WALSH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
naumnn
Whenever I've found myself in a public laundrymat, I've started humming this tune. Funny! Believe me though, it's helped!! Haha! Thanks for sharing!
PigIron BigIron
Brings back memories of my me and my Dad cruising in the hills and going fishing. Funnest times ever!
fluffydolly
joe walsh rocks.....so many types of songs and this is another great one....how ya doin!!!!
irongoatrocky
in Summer of '75 I was in Boot-camp at Ft Ord CA.....I bought 'So What' on cassette loved this song right off the bat!
jay serio
I remember this so well from my wasted youth lol 😂
sidearmdoninohio
I can see Joe and a bunch of guys sitting in a circle like they did on the TV show "That 70's Show." Someone says "I bet ya can't make a song about washing your clothes." And within a few minutes there it is.
Hugh Yonn
I'm gonna save this for when I'm really smoked up...can't believe this is the first time I've ever heard it...
JESUS IS LORD
You've heard it. You just need to quit hanging with the Griffin dude. lol
Frankincensed
This is why I love Joe. This shit. LOL Funny as hell.
Dana Hess
Thanks for posting... I was thinking about this song on the way in to work, but I couldn't remember the "ring around the collar" line.