[Intro] [Slow 12-string acoustic guitar intro, building with a haunting electric guitar arpeggio] [Verse 1] On a fractured black highway, under a copper sky The heat waves were dancing, playing tricks on my eye My engine was choking, the radiator screamed I pulled into a rest stop that I must have dreamed She stood by the signpost, in a dress made of smoke She smiled like an angel, but her eyes never spoke She said, "Welcome stranger, to the end of the road Let me lighten the weight of your heavy load." [Chorus] Welcome to the Desert Mirage Inn Such a timeless place (such a timeless place) With a shifting face They’re saving a room at the Desert Mirage Inn Any time of year (any time of year) You can disappear [Verse 2] The hallways were mirrored, reflecting old ghosts Drinking sweet poison to a gallery of toasts They had silver spoons, they had gold on their wrists But they were dancing with shadows in the midnight mist I asked the night porter, "Can you bring me some wine?" He just laughed and he whispered, "We ran out of time. We don’t serve that spirit here since the clock struck dead We just drink the illusions that we spin in our head." [Chorus] Welcome to the Desert Mirage Inn Such a timeless place (such a timeless place) With a shifting face They’re living it up at the Desert Mirage Inn What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise) Built on beautiful lies [Bridge] Mirrors on the ceiling, velvet on the floor But you can’t find the handle to the exit door In the master chamber, the music starts to swell Are we trapped in a heaven, or asleep in a hell? [Guitar Solo] [Melodic, weeping electric guitar solo, building tension] [Verse 3] The last thing I remember, I was running for flight I had to find the highway and the cool desert night "Relax," said the porter, "We are programmed to receive You can check out your baggage anytime you please..." But the keys have been melted, and the desert is wide And the only way out is back inside. [Outro] [Epic dual electric guitar solo, cascading harmonies, melodic and hypnotic rhythm fade out] [Fade Out] [End]
