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Some of the best classic rock songs are great in their simplicity. One of The Eagles’ classic hits, “Take It Easy,” is one of those tunes. The track is partly about Route 66, but a member of the Eagles connected it to the culture of the United States more broadly.

Don Henley revealed the meaning of The Eagles’ ‘Take It Easy’

During a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone, The Eagles’ Don Henley discussed the history of “Take It Easy.” “I don’t recall the first time I heard it in its basic form, but I will always remember the first time I heard those shimmering guitar chords in the intro pulsing through the big playback speakers at Olympic Studios in Barnes, a suburban district in the London borough of Richmond upon Thames, where the first Eagles album was recorded,” he said. “The song’s primary appeal, I think, is that it evokes a sense of motion, both musically and lyrically. The romance of the open road.”

Henley discussed the tune’s connection to the American tradition. “The lure of adventure and possibility — Route 66, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Pacific Coast Highway,” the “The Boys of Summer” singer said. “Great American writers from Thomas Wolfe to Jack Kerouac to Wallace Stegner have addressed this theme of the restlessness of the American spirit, of our need to keep moving, especially from east to west, in search of freedom, identity, fortune and this illusive thing we call ‘home.'”

Why the song is 1 of The Eagles’ classics

“Take It Easy” is one of the best songs to play on the open road. While driving is a hassle for some, others find it a relaxing pastime and “Take It Easy” is just relaxing enough and just energetic enough to be a good driving song.

The tune also straddles the line between having a county vibe and a hippie vibe. People often think of country fans as being a little more conservative and hippies as being liberal, but “Take It Easy” is the sort of bridge between the two. It has some references to the Southwest as well as allusions to free love. You can imagine Johnny Cash and Donovan enjoying it.

How ‘Take It Easy’ went from a modest thing to a huge song

“Take It Easy” reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 11 weeks. The tune was not a big hit, but it remains a staple on classic rock radio, partly because its country-rock hybrid sound is perfect for a crossover hit. The tune appeared on the album Eagles. That record reached No. 22 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 49 weeks. 

“Take It Easy” would later appear as the first track of the compilation record Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975. That compilation became one of the biggest albums of all time. It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for five weeks, lasting on the chart for a gobsmacking 455 weeks in total. Very few albums have reached a comparable amount of popularity. If “Take It Easy” was a modest hit at first, Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 made the tune ubiquitous.

“Take It Easy” is a great song, and it wouldn’t be the same without the freedom of the open road.

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