The Eldorado

[A dark, atmospheric cabaret song set around Berlin’s Eldorado in the early 1930s, capturing its glitter, freedom, and the sense that the night is about to DISAPPEAR] [Verse 1] Neon trembling on the rain, Gold reflected in the pane, Taxi horns and cigarette smoke, Midnight laughing at the joke. Silk and satin, painted eyes, Strangers dancing in disguise, Every doorway, every street, Had another heart to meet. [CHORUS] Oh, Eldorado, burn tonight, Gold beneath the electric light, Let the orchestra play loud, Let the beautiful defy the crowd. Oh, Eldorado, hold the door, We don't know what tomorrow's for, So pour the champagne, dim the light— We are alive in Berlin tonight. [Verse 2] At the bar a soldier drinks, A poet stares and slowly thinks, A girl in tails lights up a room, Someone kisses someone in the gloom. Laughter rises, trumpets call, Mirrors multiply us all, For a little while the world Has forgotten what it hurled. [CHORUS] Oh, Eldorado, burn tonight, Gold beneath the electric light, Let the orchestra play loud, Let the beautiful defy the crowd. Oh, Eldorado, hold the door, We don't know what tomorrow's for, So pour the champagne, dim the light— We are alive in Berlin tonight. [Verse 3] But outside, footsteps gather near, A different kind of music's here. Posters bloom on every wall, Promises become a call. The windows darken one by one, Morning comes without the sun. And somewhere underneath the street, The drums march on beneath the beat. [Bridge] Who can say how long a city Can remain a city of dreams? How long can laughter drown the thunder? How long can a mirror keep A face from becoming a number? [Verse 4] Eldorado, one last song, Play it soft and play it long. Let the dancers cross the floor, Though the world is at the door. Let the trumpet mourn the night, Let the chandeliers burn bright. For freedom sometimes has a sound— A fragile song before it's drowned. [Final Chorus] Oh, Eldorado, burn tonight, Last gold beneath the fading light. Let the orchestra play loud, Let the beautiful defy the crowd. Oh, Eldorado, close your eyes, Keep one little spark alive. And when the darkness takes the town, Remember those who danced before it came down. [Outro] Berlin sleeps beneath the rain, Years go by and streets remain. But somewhere, if you listen low, You can hear the old band go— Eldorado… Eldorado… Play one more song.