[Intro — rain, distant highway, buzzing neon] OLD RADIO ADVERTISEMENT: “Tired, traveler? Come on in. Vacancy every night. Every room has a story…” [tape warps] “…and every story needs a body.” [neon transformer BUZZ] FEMALE — whisper: Room thirteen. MALE — low rasp: Of course it is. [door unlocks] FEMALE: Come inside. [RIFF CRASHES IN] VERSE 1 MALE — snarled Blacktop devil with a suitcase grin, Pulled off the highway where the bad dreams begin. VACANCY blinking like a bloodshot eye, One cheap room and a beautiful lie. Dead flies dancing in the bathroom light, Television preacher screaming through the night. Bible in the drawer got the pages torn out— FEMALE — whispered: You won't need that here. MALE: Never had a doubt. PRE-CHORUS FEMALE — smoky mezzo-soprano: Leave your name at reception, Leave your halo at the door. I've got something in room thirteen You've been looking for. MALE : Check in… FEMALE: Pull the curtains. MALE: Lock tight… FEMALE: Darling— We're gonna be here all night. CHORUS BOTH: BLACK! MASS! MOTEL! VACANCY IN HELL! BLACK! MASS! MOTEL! COME RING THAT DIRTY BELL! MALE: One room! FEMALE: Two keys! MALE: Bad luck— FEMALE: Guaranteed! BOTH: Check in dirty, check out strange— At the BLACK MASS MOTEL WHERE THE NIGHT NEVER CHANGES! CROWD: HEY! HEY! HEY! VERSE 2 [bass and drums drop into a filthy strutting groove] FEMALE — rhythmic mezzo: Lipstick message on the mirror says: STAY. [Somebody scratched underneath it]: PRAY. There's a little red light By the camera above— MALE: Smile, baby. FEMALE: Somebody's watching with love. [female laugh] MALE — snarled: Ice machine coughing at a quarter past three, Room twelve's empty—but something's watching me. Hear high heels clicking where the hallway ends— FEMALE — distant: Darling… MALE: There she goes again. FEMALE: You followed me. MALE: Bad habit. FEMALE: You opened the door. MALE: Had to have it. BOTH: Now the neon starts flickering— FEMALE: Once… MALE: Twice… BOTH — screamed: WELCOME TO PARADISE! CHORUS BOTH: BLACK! MASS! MOTEL! VACANCY IN HELL! BLACK! MASS! MOTEL! COME RING THAT DIRTY BELL! MALE: One room! FEMALE: Two keys! MALE: Bad luck— FEMALE: Guaranteed! BOTH: Check in dirty, check out strange— At the BLACK MASS MOTEL WHERE THE NIGHT NEVER CHANGES! MOTEL BREAK [everything abruptly stops] [fluorescent light buzzing] [telephone rings] MALE: Don't answer that. [second ring] FEMALE: Why not? [third ring] [receiver lifts] FRONT DESK — distorted old woman's voice: “Good evening, room thirteen. We hope you're enjoying your stay.” [static] “Please disregard the scratching inside the walls.” [SCRAAAAAPE] FEMALE: …What scratching? [violent pounding from inside wall] MALE: That scratching. [MASSIVE BREAKDOWN] BREAKDOWN MALE — screamed: KICK! THAT! DOOR! CROWD: HEY! MALE: BREAK! THAT! LOCK! CROWD: HEY! MALE: TURN THAT MOTEL— BOTH: INTO A PARKING-LOT RIOT! [mechanical percussion slams into half-time riff] MALE: Neon buzz! Cheap perfume! Something laughing In the next damn room! FEMALE — powerful mezzo: Red light! Black lace! There's something wicked Wearing my face! MALE: WHAT?! FEMALE — whisper: Behind you. [guitar scrape] MALE: OH, COME ON! BRIDGE [rain returns; lonely electric guitar and broken organ] FEMALE — haunting clean: Every room keeps a little memory, Every wall remembers names. Every stranger leaves a shadow, But the shadows always stay. MALE — low clean rasp: I've been driving toward nowhere Since the day I learned to run. Maybe every road eventually Brings you back to what you've done. FEMALE: Then stay awhile. MALE: You offering? FEMALE: I'm insisting. [slow drumbeat] BUILD FEMALE — increasingly powerful: Turn the sign— MALE: ON! FEMALE: Lock the door— MALE: TIGHT! FEMALE: Wake the dead— MALE: UP! FEMALE: We're checking out— BOTH: WHEN WE DAMN WELL LIKE! FINAL CHORUS [huge guitars + distorted organ + crowd chants] BOTH: BLACK! MASS! MOTEL! VACANCY IN HELL! BLACK! MASS! MOTEL! COME RING THAT DIRTY BELL! MALE: NO SLEEP! FEMALE: NO SAINTS! MALE: NO GODS! FEMALE: NO COMPLAINTS! BOTH: Check in dirty! Come out strange! At the BLACK MASS MOTEL WHERE THE NIGHT NEVER CHANGES! CROWD: BLACK! MASS! MOTEL! BOTH: ROOM THIRTEEN— CROWD: BLACK! MASS! MOTEL! FEMALE — soaring: Leave the red light on! MALE: ONE MORE NIGHT! EVERYONE: BLACK! MASS! MOTEL! OUTRO [music collapses into motel-sign buzz] [morning birds faintly audible] RADIO ANNOUNCER: “Good morning, travelers. We hope you enjoyed your stay at the Black Mass Motel. Checkout was at eleven.” [pause] “It is now…” [tape slows] “…three seventeen in the morning.” [telephone rings] FEMALE — sleepy whisper: We're still here. MALE: Apparently. FEMALE: Another night? [pause] MALE: Leave the sign on. [neon BUZZ] VACANCY [female laugh fading into radio static] — NO CHECKOUT —
