"Take It to the Limit" is a song by the Eagles from their fourth album One of These Nights from which it was issued as the third single on November 15, 1975. It reached No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and was also the Eagles' greatest success to that point in the UK, going to No. 12 on the charts. Billboard ranked it as the No. 25 song for 1976.

The song was written by Eagles' members Randy Meisner, Don Henley and Glenn Frey. Meisner, who sang lead on it, says the song began as his solo composition. As it remained unfinished when time came for the One of These Nights album to be recorded, Henley and Frey assisted Meisner in completing it. Meisner's performance of the song was popular with the audience in Eagles' concerts, but disputes over his reluctance to perform it would also directly lead to Meisner's departure from the band.

Lyrics

All alone at the end of the of the evening

And the bright lights have faded to blue

I was thinking 'bout a woman who might have

Loved me and I never knew

You know I've always been a dreamer

(spent my life running 'round)

And it's so hard to change

(can't seem to settle down)

But the dreams I've seen lately

Keep on turning out and burning out

And turning out the same

So put me on a highway

And show me a sign

And take it to the limit one more time

You can spend all your time making money

You can spend all your love making time

If it all fell to pieces tomorrow

Would you still be mine?

And when you're looking for your freedom

(nobody seems to care)

And you can't find the door

(can't find it anywhere)

When there's nothing to believe in

Still you're coming back, you're running back

You're coming back for more

So put me on a highway

And show me a sign

And take it to the limit one more time

Take it to the limit

Take it to the limit

Take it to the limit one more time

Songwriters: Glenn Frey / Don Henley / Randy Meisner

Take It To The Limit lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Universal Music Publishing Group