The Eagles - Sad Cafe

Lyrics

Out in the shiny night, the rain

was softly falling

The tracks that ran down the boulevard had

all been washed away

Out of the silver light, the past came softly calling

And I remember the times we spent

inside the Sad Cafe

Oh, it seemed like a holy place,

protected by amazing grace

And we would sing right out loud, the

things we could not say

We thought we could change this world

with words like "love" and "freedom"

We were part of the lonely crowd

Inside the Sad Cafe

Oh, expecting to fly,

we would meet on that shore in the

sweet by and by

Some of their dreams came true,

some just passed away

And some of the stayed behind

inside the Sad Cafe.

The clouds rolled in and hid that shore

Now that Glory Train, it don't stop here no more

Now I look at the years gone by,

and wonder at the powers that be.

I don't know why fortune smiles on some

and let's the rest go free

Maybe the time has drawn the faces I recall

But things in this life change very slowly,

if they ever change at all

There's no use in asking why,

it just turned out that way

So meet me at midnight baby

inside the Sad Cafe.

Why don't you meet me at midnight baby,

inside the Sad Cafe.

Trivia

This song is literally about The Troubadour Bar in LA. Back in the early 70's there was something of a Folk/Country Rock Bohemian brotherhood happening there. It was very special. Back then you could literally go hang out with musical artists of the day (both up & coming and already-signed successful singer-songwriters). The time only lasted for a short while. Don is trying to capture that magical time when they were young, optimistic, naive... this is a time that he can never go back to. It is a ballad expressing a nostalgic yearning for those years gone bye. The band & its members had changed a great deal from those days, and I believe it shows a maturing of these guys as the approach what they all probably realize is the end of the group. It is really serves as the perfect "swan song" for the eagles, a little more subtle but still much like the song "let it be" for the Beatles.

Joe Walsh makes reference to the Sad cafe in his song Life's Been Good:

"Life's been good to me so far baby, inside the Sad Cafe.", adding validity to the interpretation of the song being about the bands breakup.

Even More Trivia