Walk Away (James Gang song)

"Walk Away" is a song written by Joe Walsh and recorded by American hard rock band James Gang, being featured as the first single from the group's studio album, Thirds (1971). The song peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Walk Away"
Single by James Gang
from the album Thirds
Released	1971
Recorded	1970
Genre	Hard rock funk rock
Length	3:32
Label	ABC
Songwriter(s)	Joe Walsh
Producer(s)	James Gang Bill Szymczyk
James Gang singles chronology
"Funk #49" (1970) "Walk Away" (1971) "Midnight Man" (1971)

Composition

"Walk Away" is a combination of hard rock and funk, with some influence from soul music. Walsh's guitar work incorporates different types of distortion, including slide guitar. The lyrics are about the ending of a relationship.^[1]

Release and critical reception

The song peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 24, 1971.^[2] The song was generally well-reviewed by critics. Allmusic's Matthew Greenwald called it "one of the most realized James Gang songs and recordings" and that Walsh's guitar "creates a universe of hard rock virtuosity."^[1]

Other versions

A live version of the song is on the album James Gang Live in Concert (1971).^[3] The Eagles, a band that Joe Walsh joined after the James Gang, have performed the song at concerts.^[4] Walsh's live cover reached #105 on Billboard in 1976.^[5]

Charts

James Gang

Chart (1971)	Peak position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[6]	31
US Billboard Hot 100[7]	51
US Cashbox Top 100[8]	29

Joe Walsh

Chart (1976)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100[7]	105