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.
Shadows
Joe Walsh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In between the daylight hours
And when the sun go down
We are hiding in the shadows
We are silent, we have nerve
Like to think out loud
We just don't think out loud
And the shadows grow
And the shadows play
And we all cast shadows
And shadows know
Who is standing in the shadows
Who is lying, lying in the shade
Lying to their shadow
And the shadows grow
And the shadows play
And we all cast shadows
And the shadows know
Who is standing in the shadows
Who is lying, lying in the shade
Lying to their shadows
Interpretation:
The lyrics of "Shadows" by Joe Walsh are introspective and metaphorical, talking about the shadows that we cast in our lives. The singer is standing in the middle of their shadow, feeling like they are caught between the daylight hours and the night when the sun goes down. The line "We are hiding in the shadows" suggests that the singer carries around some sort of hidden thoughts, fears or secrets that they keep to themselves. It is pointed out that we all cast shadows, indicating that everyone hides something – a part of their personality or their past – from others. In the song, the shadow grows and plays, emphasizing that we can't escape our true selves or avoid the consequences of our secrets or actions.
The line "Who is standing in the shadows, who is lying, lying in the shade, lying to their shadow" highlights the idea of dishonesty and shame, suggesting that when people don't live their true selves and live a life of pretension, they are living a lie. The shadow then becomes symbolic of the truth that people are hiding from themselves, living in the dark, and pretending not to see.
Overall, "Shadows" by Joe Walsh is a contemplative song about carrying secrets and living in the shadows. It reminds us that no matter how much we try to escape from our true selves, we all have a shadow that follows us and knows our deepest secrets.
Line by Line Meaning
I am standing in the middle of my shadow
I find myself trapped in the darkness of my innermost thoughts and fears
In between the daylight hours
During the time of day when everything is visible, I am still shrouded in darkness
And when the sun go down
Even when the day comes to an end, my struggles continue in the night
We are hiding in the shadows
We conceal ourselves from the world, preferring to remain unseen
We are silent, we have nerve
We are quiet and composed, with an unyielding attitude and confidence
Like to think out loud
Although we choose not to speak our minds aloud, we are constantly reflecting and analyzing our thoughts
We just don't think out loud
Despite our tendency to contemplate deeply, we resist the urge to verbalize our musings
And the shadows grow
As time goes on, our doubts and fears amplify, casting a longer and darker presence
And the shadows play
Our fears and worries take on a life of their own, toying with our emotions and state of mind
And we all cast shadows
Each of us is impacted by our own inner demons, casting a shadow over our lives
And shadows know
Our dark thoughts are aware of us, and have a power over us that we cannot deny
Who is standing in the shadows
Who we are when we are not in the spotlight, is who we truly are
Who is lying, lying in the shade
We deceive ourselves as we try to hide from our realities, and our own true nature remains veiled
Lying to their shadow
We even hide from ourselves, and are not honest about who we are at our core
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Spirit Music Group
Written by: ABBY ANN BYRNE, BROCK PATRICK WALSH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind