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.
Problems
Joe Walsh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Didn't want to solve.
Until you do you do, that's the thing about them,
Still got them, problems.
Seems so small, they can tower over you.
Pile up, build a wall,
Around you, surround you, oh and how.
So they follow, follow?
I wonder who can solve my problem.
Oh how about them?
Problems can wait,
Problems get solved
Problems relate,
Problems revolve around tense situations,
Tense situations left unresolved.
Something comes up, you get involved.
In justifications of foreign relations that have nothing to do,
No nothing at all with the problem.
Hey now did you ever have one,
Have a problem?
That you could not solve.
What did you do about them?
What did you do?
Did you try and close your eyes?
Put the blame on someone else?
But the problem follows you around and round,
Up and down until it takes up all your time.
Til it starts to bother you, til you start to lose your mind.
Your problems, they love it when you do they do too.
Problems that wait, never get solved.
Problems relate to and problems revolve around tense situations,
Tense situations, left unresolved.
When something comes up and got you involved with contradiction,
Fictional frictions that have nothing to do, no nothing at all with the problem.
Hey now, did you ever have one? Have a problem that you could not solve?
That's the thing about them, problems.
In Joe Walsh's song "Problems," the lyrics seem to describe the universal experience of facing problems and finding it difficult to solve them. Walsh describes how problems can pile up and surround an individual, making it seem as though it is impossible to escape them. He also notes that problems can be small but still have a significant impact on one's life. The lyrics suggest that avoiding and blaming others for problems only makes them worse, and it's better to face them head-on to find a solution.
The repetition of the phrase "problems can wait, problems get solved" suggests a potential solution to the issue of problems – that they can be resolved if one takes the time to work on them. The lyrics also touch on the idea that sometimes problems are not related to the situation at hand but are instead created by our own fears and anxieties. The song seems to be a call to action to face problems with an open mind and willingness to find solutions instead of avoiding or blaming others.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey now, did you make a problem?
Did you create an issue or complication?
Didn't want to solve.
You had no intention of solving the problem.
Until you do you do, that's the thing about them,
Still got them, problems.
Problems persist until they get resolved.
Seems so small, they can tower over you.
Problems that appear minor can have a great impact.
Pile up, build a wall,
Problems accumulate and can become insurmountable.
Around you, surround you, oh and how.
Problems can consume and overwhelm you.
When you finally think they're through,
You think the problems are over.
So they follow, follow?
But the problems continue to persist.
I wonder who can solve my problem.
You express uncertainty about who can solve the problem.
Oh how about them?
You suggest that someone else might be able to solve the problem.
Problems can wait,
Problems can be put off or delayed.
Problems get solved
Problems require resolution.
Problems relate,
Problems are connected to other issues.
Problems revolve around tense situations,
Problems often arise in stressful circumstances.
Tense situations left unresolved.
Stressful situations that are not addressed can lead to problems.
Something comes up, you get involved.
You become embroiled in problems unexpectedly.
In justifications of foreign relations that have nothing to do,
No nothing at all with the problem.
You get caught up in irrelevant details or justifications.
Hey now did you ever have one,
Have a problem?
That you could not solve.
Have you ever encountered an insurmountable problem?
What did you do about them?
What did you do?
How did you try to solve the problem?
Did you try and close your eyes?
Did you try to avoid or ignore the problem?
Put the blame on someone else?
Did you try to shift responsibility to someone else?
But the problem follows you around and round,
Up and down until it takes up all your time.
Til it starts to bother you, til you start to lose your mind.
Ignoring a problem can lead to it becoming overwhelming and distressing.
Your problems, they love it when you do they do too.
Problems persist and intensify when ignored.
Problems that wait, never get solved.
Delaying the resolution of problems can lead to them never being solved.
When something comes up and got you involved with contradiction,
Fictional frictions that have nothing to do, no nothing at all with the problem.
Problems can become complicated or muddled by irrelevant factors.
That's the thing about them, problems.
Problems persist until they are resolved.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Missing Link Music
Written by: Anthony Cruz, Eldra De Barge, Mark Curry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paul Raymond
Joe Walsh is one of the best song writers in rock. The Confessor is a great album by him. Problems had that reggae vibe to it that I liked so much.
McgarickWAstate
He's one of the THE very best....Joe's amazing....
Tony Tony
An excellent album!
The Terrence Reardon Podcast
My mom had this and many of Joe Walsh's albums and I still think of my mom who exposed this to me at age 9 in summer 1985 when I hear The Confessor album. I was with her when she bought this (she bought me my second copy of Van Halen's Diver Down as my first copy was dead). By age 9 in 1985 (I was born in 1976) I was listening to The Eagles (since age 4/5), Pink Floyd (same with The Eagles), The Rolling Stones, Journey, Springsteen, Styx (and solo works from Tommy Shaw and Dennis DeYoung), David Bowie, The Police, Ozzy, Van Halen (not Van Hagar), AC/DC, Bryan Adams (Cuts Like a Knife was first album of his I heard), The Cars. Then got into The Doors, Dire Straist, Deep Purple, Tears For Fears in 1985. RIP mom, I miss you and thanks for exposing me to real music early on!
Marvin Roop
Great album
Dan S
great stuff there! thanks for uploading wblairs! 15 in a row was another good song that I think was on this same album...God bless the roadies and God bless joe !
Hope Full Sinner
Choice, I love this album.
T K
Snare drum is siiiiiiiick on this track!!
buckeye6382
The Confessor was one of his BEST accomplishments
David Lane
They don't make em like this anymore...I was lucky enough to see joe Walsh in Columbus Ohio last year on tom pettys tour...great show from joe Walsh and Tom petty... R.i.p tom petty...