Poetry Sunday: The Last Resort by Don Henley and Glenn Lewis Frey

I sometimes suffer from the disease of nostalgia. This past week it has been nostalgia for the music of "The Eagles." I've listened to it at every opportunity that I've had. 

There are several of their songs that are personally meaningful to me, but the one that I return to most often is probably the one called "The Last Resort." That's its official name but I always think of it as "Paradise." The story that the lyrics tell seems to be particularly relevant just now and the two stanzas that always stand out in my mind are these:

Who will provide the grand design?
What is yours and what is mine?
'Cause there is no more new frontier
We have got to make it here
We satisfy our endless needs
And justify our bloody deeds
In the name of destiny
And in the name of God
And here are the complete lyrics:
The Last Resort
by Don Henley and Glenn Lewis Frey
She came from Providence
One in Rhode Island
Where the old world shadows hang
Heavy in the air
She packed her hopes and dreams
Like a refugee
Just as her father came across the sea
She heard about a place
People were smilin'
They spoke about the red man's way
And how they loved the land
And they came from everywhere
To the Great Divide
Seeking a place to stand
Or a place to hide
Down in the crowded bars
Out for a good time
Can't wait to tell you all
What it's like up there
And they called it paradise
I don't know why
Somebody laid the mountains low
While the town got high
Then the chilly winds blew down
Across the desert
Through the canyons of the coast
To the Malibu
Where the pretty people play
Hungry for power
To light their neon way
Give them things to do
Some rich men came and raped the land
Nobody caught 'em
Put up a bunch of ugly boxes
And Jesus people bought 'em
And they called it paradise
The place to be
They watched the hazy sun
Sinking in the sea
You can leave it all behind
Sail to Lahaina
Just like the missionaries did
So many years ago
They even brought a neon sign
"Jesus is coming"
Brought the white man's burden down
Brought the white man's reign
Who will provide the grand design?
What is yours and what is mine?
'Cause there is no more new frontier
We have got to make it here
We satisfy our endless needs
And justify our bloody deeds
In the name of destiny
And in the name of God
And you can see them there
On Sunday morning
Stand up and sing about
What it's like up there
They call it paradise
I don't know why
You call someplace paradise
Kiss it goodbye

Comments

  1. The Butterfly ReaderMay 8, 2022 at 2:39 PM

    A very good song.

    ReplyDelete
  2. David M. Gascoigne,May 8, 2022 at 3:40 PM

    The two stanzas you quote say it all to me.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AlanaMay 8, 2022 at 4:32 PM

    I wasn't familiar with this Eagles song so I found it on You Tube and listened along with the lyrics. What a powerful song this is. Alana ramblinwitham

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersMay 8, 2022 at 5:31 PM

      Powerful is a good word for it. It says it all really, doesn't it?

      Delete
  4. Lark May 9, 2022 at 3:07 PM

    Reading your post made me want to hear the song. It's such a good one!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Deb Nance at ReaderbuzzMay 12, 2022 at 11:22 AM

    Of course I had heard of the Eagles, being as I am Of-a-Certain-Age, but, sadly, I've never looked closely at their lyrics. Thank you for sharing this song.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersMay 12, 2022 at 12:49 PM

      The Eagles are always a "comfort listen" for me. And the lyrics of some of their songs, like this one, really reach me.

      Delete

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