Sad Cafe

by The Eagles
from the album “Long Run” (1979)

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 remembered 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 beautiful shore in the sweet by 'n' by.
Some of the dreams came true
and some just passed away,
and some of them 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 lets 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.
No use in asking why.
It just turned out that way.
So meet me at midnight, babe,
inside the Sad Cafe.
Why don't you meet me at midnight, babe,
inside the Sad Cafe?

---

Some Questions

1.   Out in the shiny night the rain was softly falling.
       Out of the silver light the past came softly calling.
            Why is the night "shiny"?
            What is the difference between "out in" and "out of"?

2.   Out of the silver light the past came softly calling.
            Why is the past "softly calling"?

3.   And we would sing right out loud the things we could not say.
            Why could they sing about things that were difficult to say?

4.   We were part of the lonely crowd inside the Sad Cafe.
            Who were they? And why were they a "lonely crowd"?

5.   Oh, expecting to fly, we would meet
       on that beautiful shore in the sweet by 'n' by.
            Where is that "beautiful shore"?
            Why were they going to meet there?

6.   Oh, expecting to fly, we would meet
       on that beautiful shore in the sweet by 'n' by.
                What is the meaning of "in the sweet by 'n' by"?

7.   The clouds rolled in and hid that shore.
            What does this imply? 
            What is the meaning of "shore" here?

8.   Now I look at the years gone by and wonder at the powers that be.
            What are the "powers that be"?
            What is he wondering about?

9.   I don't know why fortune smiles on some and lets the rest go free.
            What is the meaning of "fortune smiles on some"?
            What does "go free" mean in this case?

10.  Maybe the time has drawn the faces I recall.
            How can time draw faces?
            What does this imply here?

11.  Things in this life change very slowly, if they ever change at all.
            What does he mean by this? 
            What is his general attitude expressed here?