Album: The Allnighter (1984)

Charted: 22 12

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• There's trouble on the streets tonight,
  I can feel it in my bones.
  I had a premonition,
  That he should not go alone.
  
  I knew the gun was loaded,
  But I didn't think he'd kill.
  Everything exploded,
  And the blood began to spill.
  
  So baby, here's your ticket,
  Put the suitcase in your hand.
  Here's a little money now,
  Do it just the way we planned.
  
  You be cool for twenty hours
  And I'll pay you twenty grand.
  I'm sorry it went down like this,
  And someone had to lose,
  
  It's the nature of the business,
  It's the smuggler's blues.
  Smuggler's Blues
  The sailors and pilots,
  
  The soldiers and the law,
  The pay offs and the rip offs,
  And the things nobody saw.
  No matter if it's heroin, cocaine, or hash,
  
  You've got to carry weapons
  'Cause you always carry cash.
  There's lots of shady characters,
  Lots of dirty deals.
  
  Every name's an alias
  In case somebody squeals.
  It's the lure of easy money,
  It's gotta very strong appeal.
  
  Perhaps you'd understand it better
  Standin' in my shoes,
  It's the ultimate enticement,
  It's the smuggler's blues,
  
  Smuggler's blues.
  See it in the headlines,
  You hear it ev'ry day.
  They say they're gonna stop it,
  
  But it doesn't go away.
  They move it through Miami, sell it in L.A.,
  They hide it up in Telluride,
  I mean it's here to stay.
  
  It's propping up the governments in Columbia and Peru,
  You ask any D.E.A. man,
  He'll say "There's nothin' we can do",
  From the office of the President,
  
  Right down to me and you, me and you.
  It's a losing proposition,
  But one you can't refuse.
  It's the politics of contraband,
  It's the smuggler's blues,
  Smuggler's blues. Writer/s: Glenn Lewis Frey, Jack Tempchin
  Publisher: Wixen Music Publishing
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 9

• Imarriedhim from North IdahoI heard Glen Frey came up with the idea of this song when late one night he was watching a guy count money. The guy laid a gun down on the table and started talking about how someone he knew had died. Glen asked him how the guy died and all he said was "It's the nature of the business, it's the smugglers blues" We can only guess why Glenn Frey was at this guys well hidden house in a canyon in L.A. But a great song came from it.
  That guy moved to North Idaho did what he did for awhile than did time in a North Idaho prison. Now he lives a quiet life still in North Idaho
• Stukka63 from St.augustine, Fla.Here’s the way it’s done.
  If your moving cocaine, you need to be extremely cautious.
  Ok, let me back it up. If you’re not paying the cia, dea in south Fla.thier cut, they are out to bust your ass. Now, you always land n re group in Cuba. Then you fly the long way home. (Low n slow up the gulf coast)
  K Lakeland, Fla. has always been a prime destination. Now you have a piece of shjt huge car at the airport. You load it up, then call a flatbed to take it south.
  Even if per say the driver gets pulled over, he doesn’t know shjt.
  Not his responsibility to bring drug dogs out n sniff the car.
  Law enforcement is very simple. They have no one set up to check vehicles heading south.
  
• Dave from UsHave to wonder if there was a connection between this and Barry Seal.
• Ken from Louisville, KyThis was co-written by Frey and his frequent writing partner Jack Tempchin. Tempchin wrote two Eagles hits, "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and "Already Gone". After the group broke up, Frey needed a songwriting partner to help with lyrics since he was no longer writing with Don Henley. So he asked Tempchin.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 1st 1985, Glen Frey starred on the NBC-TV weekly series 'Miami Vice' in an episode called 'Smuggler's Blues'...
  The record "Smuggler's Blues" entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart on March 31st, 1985; and on June 16th it peaked at #12 (for 1 week), it was also its 12th week on the Top 100 (it spent a total of 16 weeks on the chart)...
  It was track six on his 2nd studio album, 'The Allnighter', and the album peaked at #22 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart...
  Two other tracks from the album also made the Top 100; "Sexy Girl" (at #20) and "The All Nighter" (at #54).
• Brian from Boston, MaThis is an underrated song. I think it is often just written off as cheesy 80's music but I disagree. This song has good guitar and the subject matter is intriuging. The video for this song follows the songs story about drug dealers. I always felt this song never got the credit it deserved.
• Jeff from Austin, TxPhil Collins sported an AWESOME mullet in that episode. The going bald/mullet look was KILLER!!!
• Karen from Manchester, NhOne episode of "Miami Vice" also featured Phil Collins, himself! It was titled "Phil the Shill" and is one of the funniest episodes of the entire series.
• Rich from Elkins, WvWell written...tells a story ...good beat and you can dance to it.....I give it a '94'

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