Take It Easy

Infobox Single
Name = Take It Easy


Artist = Eagles
from Album = Eagles
B-side = "Get You in the Mood"
Released = May 1, 1972
Format = 7"
Recorded =
Genre = Rock, Country rock
Length = 3:30
Label = Asylum
Writer = Jackson Browne, Glenn Frey
Producer = Glyn Johns
Certification =
Last single =
This single = "Take It Easy" (1972)
Next single = "Witchy Woman" (1972)"Take It Easy" is a song written by Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey, and recorded by the Eagles (with Frey singing lead vocals). It was the band's first single, released on May 1, 1972. It also was the opening track on the band's debut album "Eagles" and it has become one of their signature songs, included on all of their live and compilation albums. It is one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

Browne originally began writing "Take It Easy" in 1971 for his own debut album. His friend and then-neighbor Frey heard an early version and liked it so much that Browne gave it to him for his new band. Frey finished the second verse (including the line "It's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford ...") and the resulting single climbed to #12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Bass player Randy Meisner sings the harmony vocal in the beginning of this verse with Frey, but drummer Don Henley is singing harmony at the end of the verse ("Though we will never be here again...).

Jackson Browne later recorded the song as the lead track on his second album, "For Everyman" (1973). It has also been covered by several other artists including Billy Mize, Johnny Rivers, and Travis Tritt. Tritt's version, recorded for the tribute album "", was released as a single in 1993, and peaked at #21 on the "Billboard" country music charts.

The second verse of "Take It Easy" is set in the city of Winslow, Arizona, which responded by erecting a life-size bronze statue and mural commemorating the song, at the Standin' On The Corner Park. The statue (believed by some to resemble songwriter Jackson Browne), stands leaning against a lamp post, securing an acoustic guitar between his right hand and the shoe of his right foot. Above his head, a metal sign, crafted in the style of U.S. Route shields, displays the words "Standin' on the corner". The mural on the wall behind the statue is that of a fake storefront, and includes what would appear to be the reflection of a red Ford pickup truck driven by a blonde-haired woman. The second floor of the mural features an eagle perched in one of the windows. [http://www.roadsideamerica.com/sights/sightstory.php?tip_AttrId=%3D12603 Standin' on the Corner Park, Winslow, Arizona ] ]

The "corner" is actually that of North Kinsley Avenue and West 2nd Street (eastbound State Route 99) in downtown Winslow.

Version Differences

The versions of the song recorded by the Eagles and Jackson Browne differ in several ways. The Eagles' version sounds a bit faster and has some noticeable country influence. There are also some differences in wording, most notably the line following "I'm looking for a lover, who won't blow my cover". Browne's version follows this with "She's just a little hard to find", while the Eagles' version replaces "just a little" with a prolonged "so". Finally, the Eagles' version ends with the trademark "Wooooo! Wooooo!" sing-along, cattle-farmer-esque banjo rifts, and a reprise of the "take it easy" chorus line". Browne's version goes out with just guitar.

Due to the greater fame of the Eagles' version, Browne often plays the song in this style at his concerts, despite the opinion of many of his long-time fans that his own version is superior.

See also:

* Take It Easy, a 1965 song by The Animals
* Take It Easy, a 1982 song performed by Eric Burdon

Notes

External links

* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:czeb97bgkrst "Take It Easy" at AllMusicGuide.com]
* [http://www.glennfreyonline.com/eagles/eagleslp/takeiteasy.htm "Take It Easy" lyrics]