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Thread: What are some of the alternate lyrics that have been used live?

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    Out on the Border Motel California's Avatar
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    Default What are some of the alternate lyrics that have been used live?

    I know that there's the extra verse to Tequila Sunrise, and I know of three changes to Take it Easy:

    "Just find a place to make your stand..."
    Changed to:
    "Just find a place to take your band..."
    and
    "Just find a place to play your hand..."

    The third change I know of in Take it Easy is:
    "Looking for a lover who won't blow my cover, she's so hard to find"
    Changed to:
    "Looking for a lover who won't blow my cover, she's just a little hard to find"

    And, of course, the changes made to Life's Been Good and Rocky Mountain Way.

    Does anyone else know of any other changes to any of their songs? I'm really curious about this. I love it when bands mix things up live.

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    Moderator Ive always been a dreamer's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some of the alternate lyrics that have been used live?

    I think this could be quite a long list because the band used to change the lyrics more often than folks may think. Here's a few that first come to mind ...

    Take It Easy - "Lookin' for a lover, who don't know my mother - she's just a little hard to find." (not positive that's the exact line, but you get the picture.)

    Peaceful Easy Feeling - "I wanna sleep with you in chocolate tonight." {as sung in Hershey, Pennsylvania) and "I like the way your sparklin' earrings sway."

    Life in the Fast Lane - "They didn't know, they were just dying to get off."

    "People don't run out of dreams: People just run out of time ..."
    Glenn Frey 11/06/1948 - 01/18/2016

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    Default Re: What are some of the alternate lyrics that have been used live?

    Take It Easy had 'Standin' on a corner in Southern California...' on Eagles Live; Tequila Sunrise had 'Just another boy in a lonely Texas town' on the Houston bootleg; and not of the same ilk, but I believe Glenn used to ask 'Who likes country rock in [concert location]?' before the solo in Peaceful Easy Feeling.

    Someone else on here mentioned this years ago but I didn't agree until I saw him do it live solo: the 'God damn thing' in LITFL is now '[odd break in lyrics] damn thing'.

    Great topic, I'm sure there's more.

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    Stuck on the Border Jonny Come Lately's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some of the alternate lyrics that have been used live?

    It's funny this topic has come up, because yesterday I was watching/listening to the 1976 Seattle version of Outlaw Man, which has a couple of changes from the original recording: in the second verse the 'Headed for Oklahoma, I was ridin' night and day' line was changed to 'Headed for Oklahoma in a 56 Chevrolet' and whereas in the studio version after the final chorus Glenn sings 'Some men say there's a Jesus, some men say there ain't' he instead sings 'Some men pray to Jesus, asking please relieve the pain' and then goes onto to add 'But it only looks like rain, it only looks like rain'. I personally think this is a brilliant addition to the song (and I have to say, if you enjoy it when bands change things up live, the Seattle Outlaw Man is well worth a listen - it's a superb performance).

    There's also some vocal ad libs at the end of the 1976 Houston version of Good Day In Hell which weren't on the original recording (there's one part where Glenn adds 'it's been a good day, she was a great lady' - I think?), although that reminds me of another actual change which I think is in that version - in the second verse the line 'feeding you whiskey and wine' is changed to 'feeding you quaaludes and wine'!

    I must admit I was a bit surprised when I saw Don last year that he changed the 'God damn thing' line in LITFL. I'd heard that he'd done that before at some shows but I'd assumed he only altered it at shows in places that would be especially sensitive to that (thinking mainly of the southern US although I also seem to recall hearing that he changed it if he became aware that there were children near the front, and at the Manchester show I went to I think there was a kid on one of the front rows.

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    Default Re: What are some of the alternate lyrics that have been used live?

    The 56 Chevrolet lyric of course being the line in David Blue's original version of the song. I had forgotten about that performance on GDIH, it's an absolute blinder (as is Outlaw Man). Interesting how most of the changed lyrics come on Glenn vocals...

    I can understand why Don H. has dropped the 'God damn' bit of LITFL, it's just that he literally skips saying it and does nothing to compensate its absence, as opposed to just making the remaining lyrics fit better. It sounds almost as if he loses his breath or something!

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    Border Desperado TW's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some of the alternate lyrics that have been used live?

    I noticed that Don also left out God during The Last Resort when I saw him. He just skipped over the word as he did in LITFL.

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    Default Re: What are some of the alternate lyrics that have been used live?

    Quote Originally Posted by timothyswife View Post
    I noticed that Don also left out God during The Last Resort when I saw him. He just skipped over the word as he did in LITFL.
    Did he? All the scathing criticism of religion that The Last Resort contains and to redeem it all he omits saying 'God'? I don't recall him missing it out on the two occasions I saw it over here, but I think I was having something of an epiphany myself when I heard it live so he may have done!

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    Border Desperado TW's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some of the alternate lyrics that have been used live?

    I'm not quite sure if he did it on purpose when I saw him, maybe he wasn't close enough to the mic? All I know is that I definitely did not hear it.

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    Default Re: What are some of the alternate lyrics that have been used live?

    Quote Originally Posted by timothyswife View Post
    I'm not quite sure if he did it on purpose when I saw him, maybe he wasn't close enough to the mic? All I know is that I definitely did not hear it.
    I suppose he could have been. When I saw him he waited just in front of Scott during the intro then rushed forward to the mic and almost missed the first words to it, so he might just not have a lot of luck with the song

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    Stuck on the Border GlennLover's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some of the alternate lyrics that have been used live?

    Quote Originally Posted by thelastresort View Post
    The 56 Chevrolet lyric of course being the line in David Blue's original version of the song. I had forgotten about that performance on GDIH, it's an absolute blinder (as is Outlaw Man). Interesting how most of the changed lyrics come on Glenn vocals...

    I can understand why Don H. has dropped the 'God damn' bit of LITFL, it's just that he literally skips saying it and does nothing to compensate its absence, as opposed to just making the remaining lyrics fit better. It sounds almost as if he loses his breath or something!
    I had wondered about the change of lyrics in Outlaw Man then it dawned on me that they didn't have "'56 Chevrolets" in the times of the Doolin-Dalton gangs.

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