If you even read a few lines of this song you must hear the song. It's all about "US".
The Last Resort
Eagles
She came from Providence
One in Rhode Island
Where the world shadows
Heavy in the air
She packed her hopes and dreams
Like a refugee
Just as her father came across the sea
She heard about a place
People were smilin'
They spoke about the red man's way
And how they loved the land
And they came from everywhere
To the Great Divide
Seeking a place to stand
Or a place to hide
Down in the crowded bars
Out for a good time
Can't wait to tell you all
What it's like up there
And they called it paradise
I don't know why
Somebody laid the mountains low
While the town got high
Then the chilly winds blew down
Across the desert
Through the canyons of the coast
To the Malibu
Where the pretty people play
Hungry for power
To light their neon way
Give them things to do
Some rich men came and raped the land
Nobody caught 'em
Put up a bunch of boxes
And Jesus people bought 'em
And they called it paradise
The place to be
They watched the hazy sun
Sinking in the sea
You can leave it all behind
Sail to Lahaina
Just like the missionaries did
So many years ago
They even brought a neon sign
"Jesus is coming"
Brought the white man's burden down
Brought the white man's reign
Who will provide the grand design?
What is yours and what is mine?
'Cause there is no more new frontier
We have got to make it here
We satisfy our endless needs
And justify our bloody deeds
In the name of destiny
And in the name of God
And you can see them there
On Sunday morning
Stand up and sing about
What it's like up there
They call it paradise
I don't know why
You call someplace paradise
Kiss it goodbye
Another portion of great Eagles lyrics
But the flock cries out for another
And they keep answering that bell
One more starry-eyed Messiah
Meets a violent farewell
Learn to be still
I actually heard a guy sing this recently at karaoke. What a powerful song! I never had even heard of it before. Don Henley with another songwriting gem. Reminds me of another one of his masterful downbeat songs, A Month Of Sundays, about the demise of family farms.
Don Henley is a Sage. I think of him as the Sooth Sayer of our age, my age anyway.
@MerlinZap My favorite song of his solo career is The End Of The Innocence, a meditation on the Reagan years, that he co-wrote with Bruce Hornsby... Second favorite is Heart Of The Matter..
@TomMcGiverin My family name is "Dalton". Yes, I'm a relative of the notorious. So I was sold from the start. My song has always been "Desperado". My life in a nutshell.