It all began in ancient times... There used to be a building here. Stone, smoke, wet timber. A place that cost a lot of young men their breath. They came for battle, They came for drink, and most of them never saw it coming. They came to Sally Sin's. Men came home from battle, Blood dried stiff on their shields, They pushed through the hall door To get a drink and sit a while. Sally stood behind the counter, Quiet as a nail, Watching them laugh too loud With their hands still shaking. The enemy came in after them, Before the mugs were down, And Sally turned the bolt herself Without making a sound. The mead kept pouring all that night, Thick and sweet and slow, The soldiers drank like they were safe In a place they used to know. But Sally kept her face still, Kept her eyes on every cup, Till the room went slack and silent, And nobody got up. By morning all were on the floor, Cold under the beams, And Sally sat there stirring The last of the bitter cream. Sally Sin's, Where the drinks go down too easy, Sally Sin's, Where a welcome never stays. Raise your cup, Then look around and listen, Every age has found the door To Sally Sin's. Years rolled by, and the old hall sagged, Then fell into the ground, A tavern came up in its place With fresh boards all around. Sally filled the room with laughter, Set the lamps up high, Watched the travelers lean in close And tell themselves a lie. She let them sing a little longer, Let them think they’d won, Then turned the key at closing time Like she was done with fun. The tables shook with drinking songs, The floorboards hummed all night, Sally struck a match behind the bar And held it to the light. Smoke crawled up through the rafters, People coughed and ran, Sally just stood by the doorway With a match in her hand. Nobody found the back stairs fast, Nobody kept their cool, The tavern burned to a blackened shell, And Sally called it school. Sally Sin's, Where the drinks go down too easy, Sally Sin's, Where a welcome never stays. Raise your cup, Then look around and listen, Every age has found the door To Sally Sin's. Then came the days of six-guns, Dust hanging in the heat, Cowboys packed the saloon at dusk And slammed their boots to the beat. Sally moved between the tables, Quiet, steady, dry, Pouring whiskey, watching hands, Waiting for the right guy. Nobody saw the little drop She tipped into the glass, Just a clear, small, deadly thing That disappeared fast. One man raised his whiskey high, Said, "Here's to getting through," Then his face went pale as paper After just one sip or two. He stood up like the room had tilted, Like the floor had slipped away, And outside came shouting horses And no one rode that day. The whole place held its breath awhile, Then the empty glasses gleamed, And Sally wiped the counter down Like it was all routine. Sally Sin's, Where the drinks go down too easy, Sally Sin's, Where a welcome never stays. Raise your cup, Then look around and listen, Every age has found the door To Sally Sin's. Now the signs blinked over Broadway, Bass thumping through the room, Young folks came in pairs and groups Dressed up for the boom. Sally leaned against the back wall, Watching from the dark, Smiling at the way they moved Like they hadn’t got a mark. She let the song keep spinning, Let the room feel warm, And all the while she checked the wires Running in the wall. A little water started dripping Behind the painted glow, No one thought to look up there, No one heard her go. The sparks jumped in the ceiling, Then the whole room flashed white, People shouted, doors got jammed, And the music died. When the heat hit like a hammer, Sally didn’t flinch, Just stood there in the doorway Watching it all go up in smoke. The building burned... Again. But Sally Sin's... Never stays gone. Sally Sin's, Where the drinks go down too easy, Sally Sin's, Where a welcome never stays. Raise your cup, Then look around and listen, Every fire leaves a story, And Sally starts again. Sally Sin's, Four walls and a crooked grin, Sally Sin's, Step right up and wander in. The roof may fall, The years may turn, But Sally Sin's... Always returns. They say it's gone... They always say it's gone... But somebody's building again...
