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.
Alphabetical Order
Joe Walsh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A A
Triple A!
(Triple A?)
A! A! A!
You can be 1
You can be 1 2
2 be or not 2 be
ABC are E Z
ABC are fun.
A!
Alphabetical order.
Here we go
UFO on LSD
R2D2, C3P0, how ?bout ET?
ABC, BBC, CBN, NBC.
MTV, VH1, HBO, CNN.
SCTV, SAT.
Degree? BA, BN, BS, A! How about BAC? A!
Alphabetical order.
A! A! A!
Alphabetical order, from A to Z
Alphabetical order, its E Z
EWI, MAED, BAR, A! ERA.
PMS, IUD, VD, HIV, are you 1 2? are O!
DNA, SnM, CLC, ILBT, X!
Alphabetical order, from A to Z
Alphabetical order, its E Z.
A! CIA, KGB, FBI, IRN, TRW
IOU, CPA, SOS, A!
1 W not 2!
W 3D, ORH, EIEIO.
IOC, PS, NESTLES, ROLAIDS, RESPECT
MICKEY why? why? Because we like U.
USA! A!
Alphabetical order!
The song Alphabetical Order by Joe Walsh is essentially about the different abbreviations, letters, words, and phrases that can be put into alphabetical order. From the lyrics, it becomes evident that the song does not really have an overarching meaning but rather seems to be a fun exercise in reciting different groups of letters or numbers that can be put into alphabetical order.
The song begins with the repetition of the letter A, with Walsh adding a playful "Triple A!" to emphasize the point. He then goes on to say that the letter A can be in spots 1 or 2 or in any other position in the alphabet. Walsh mentions that the letters ABC are 'E Z' or easy, and that it's all about fun.
As the song progresses, Walsh rattles off a list of combinations of letters such as UFO on LSD, R2D2, C3PO, ET, ABC, BBC, CBN, NBC, MTV, VH1, HBO, CNN, SCTV, SAT, BA, BN, BS, and BAC. And then there's a string of abbreviations that come together in alphabetical order before the song ends with a final shoutout to the United States of America.
Line by Line Meaning
!
An exclamation to grab attention.
A A
The repetition of the letter 'A.'
Triple A!
An enthusiastic reference to AAA, a common term used to describe high-quality goods or services.
(Triple A?)
A questioning tone, clarifying the reference to AAA.
A! A! A!
The repetition of the letter 'A' with an excited tone.
You can be 1
A statement of encouragement, implying that the listener can be number one.
You can be 1 2
A continuation of the encouraging statement, now followed by the possibility of being numbers one and two.
2 be or not 2 be
A reference to a famous line from Shakespeare's 'Hamlet,' questioning whether or not to exist.
See?
A prompt to look or pay attention to something the artist wants to show.
ABC are E Z
A statement that the alphabet is easy.
ABC are fun.
Claiming that the alphabet is enjoyable.
A!
The letter A with an exclamation, indicating the beginning of the alphabet.
Alphabetical order.
Referring to organizing in alphabetical order.
Here we go
A statement to commence or start something.
UFO on LSD
A bizarre and humorous reference to a hypothetical situation involving a UFO taking LSD.
R2D2, C3P0, how ?bout ET?
A reference to famous robots in popular culture, followed by a question about including extraterrestrial life forms.
ABC, BBC, CBN, NBC.
Listing several broadcast companies that use acronyms instead of their full name.
MTV, VH1, HBO, CNN.
Referencing several popular TV channels, all of which use shortened names.
SCTV, SAT.
Mentions more TV channels, all of which use some kind of abbreviation.
Degree? BA, BN, BS, A! How about BAC? A!
Listing various undergraduate degrees, followed by including 'BAC' as a possibility and emphasizing its alphabetical significance within the context.
Alphabetical order.
Re-emphasizes the importance of organizing in alphabetical order.
A! A! A!
Repeating the letter 'A' in a celebratory or enthusiastic way.
Alphabetical order, from A to Z
Reiterating the importance of organizing alphabetically, from beginning to end.
Alphabetical order, its E Z
Asserting the ease of organizing alphabetically.
EWI, MAED, BAR, A! ERA.
Listing several educational degrees, including a reference to a specific historical era, all while keeping the alphabetical patterns in mind.
PMS, IUD, VD, HIV, are you 1 2? are O!
Mentioning a sequence of medical terms while possibly hinting at a common colloquialism for being 'one or two' regarding urination. Then confirming the inclusion of the letter 'O' in the list.
DNA, SnM, CLC, ILBT, X!
Listing several scientific terms with the addition of 'X' at the end of the sequence.
Alphabetical order, from A to Z
Repeating the assertion to organize in alphabetical order.
Alphabetical order, its E Z.
Re-asserting the simplicity of alphabetical order.
A! CIA, KGB, FBI, IRN, TRW
Listing several government agencies and institutions alphabetically.
IOU, CPA, SOS, A!
Mentioning commonly used abbreviations, followed by another celebration of the alphabetic letter A.
1 W not 2!
A statement for clarification, stating that only one 'W' should be included rather than two.
W 3D, ORH, EIEIO.
Mentioning '3D' and making a random reference to 'EIEIO,' possibly for comedic effect. While also maintaining the theme of alphabetization.
IOC, PS, NESTLES, ROLAIDS, RESPECT
An eclectic list of institutions, corporations, and products while emphasizing the letter 'R.'
MICKEY why? why? Because we like U.
The repetition of 'why?' followed by a tongue-in-cheek response to someone named Mickey. A possible reference to the famous Disney mouse that has an alphabetical name. Then concluding that they like Mickey.
USA! A!
A celebratory shout-out to the United States, including the appreciation of the letter 'A.'
Alphabetical order!
An enthusiastic call-to-action to arrange everything in alphabetical order.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group
Written by: JOE FIDLER WALSH, JOSEPH ANTHONY VITALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Daniel Thomas
This is the most ridiculous thing Joe Walsh has ever done.
What was he thinking?
Oh, well it's still cool.
Tim Williams
It is Pre-Rap by a guy who was just fuckin' around!
Mike Mustang
R2D2, C3PO, Only Joe!!!!
RETARDOMONTALBAN
ILBT!
Tina Hennessey
Check Out The Beatles singing Sgt. PEPPERS LONELY HEARTS CLUB.