The Garden Of Allah Lyrics - Singles - Don Henley

It was a pretty big year for fashion 

A lousy year for rock and roll 

The people gave their blessings to crimes of passion 

It was a dark, dark night of the collective soul 

Now was somewhere out on riverside 

By the El Royale Hotel 

When a stranger appeared in a cloud of smoke 

I thought I knew him all too well 

He said now that I have your attention 

I got somethin' I want to say 

You may not want to hear it 

I'm gonna tell it to you anyway 

You know, I've always liked you, boy 

Cause you were not afraid of me 

But things are gonna get mighty rough 

Here in Gomorrah-By-The-Sea 

He said it's just like home 

It's so damned hot, I can't stand it 

My fine seersucker suit is all soakin' wet 

And the hills are burning 

The wind is raging 

And the clock strikes midnight 

In the Garden of Allah 

(In the Garden of Allah) 

Nice car 

I love those Bavarians, so meticulous 

You know, I remember a time when things were a lot more 

Fun around here 

When good was good, and evil was evil 

Before things got so, fuzzy 

Yeah, I was once a golden boy like you 

And I was summoned to the halls of power in the heavenly court 

And I dined with the deities who looked upon me with favor 

For my talents my creativity 

And we sat beneath the palms in the warm afternoons 

And drank the wine with Fitzgerald and Huxley 

And they pawned a biting phrase 

From tongues hot with blood 

And drained their pens of bitter ink 

Vainly reaching for the bottle full of empty Edens 

Branded special for the ones 

Who had come with great expectations 

To the perfumed halls of Allah 

For their time in the sun 

We were stokin' the fires 

And oilin' up the machinery 

Until the gods found out we had ideas of our own 

And the war was coming 

The earth was shaking 

And there was no more room 

In the Garden of Allah 

(In the Garden of Allah) 

Today I made an appearance downtown 

I am an expert witness, because I say I am 

And I said, gentleman, and I use that word loosely 

I will testify for you 

I'm a gun for hire, I'm a saint, I'm a liar 

Because there are no facts, there is no truth 

Just a data to be manipulated 

I can get any result you like 

What's it worth to ya? 

Because there is no wrong, there is no right 

And I sleep very well at night 

No shame, no solution 

No remorse, no retribution 

Just people selling T-shirts 

Just opportunity to participate in the pathetic little circus 

And winning, winning, winning 

It was a pretty big year for predators 

The marketplace was on a roll 

And the land of opportunity 

Spawned a whole new breed of men without souls 

This year, notoriety got all confused with fame 

And the devil is downhearted, baby 

'Cause there's nothing left for him to claim 

He said it's just like home 

It's so low-down, I can't stand it 

I guess my work around here has all been done 

And the fruit is rotten 

The serpent's eyes shine 

As he wraps around the vine 

In the Garden of Allah 

(In the Garden of Allah) 

(In the Garden of Allah)