I heard the law came down in Vegas town
They no longer fear the mob
Told my wife and kids, "It's a business trip,
Daddy's only doin' his job"
So I emptied out the savings account
Sure that I could beat the odds
And though you might not rate a desert grave
That town still steals and robs

For free drinks and a dream
I gave them my wallet
I rolled the dice and upped my price
A soul for sale, they bought it
Now a billion lights gleam
They're twinkling 'bove this dead broke alcoholic
And I lost everything
To free drinks and a dream

The day I sold my car
I hit the bar across from my cheap motel room
That's when I thought hard about just gettin' out
Of this bright and lavish tomb
But this place don't sleep on its promise to keep
A light on against the gloom
She says maybe you got one more shot
And that's the lie that's been my ruin

A dream of livin' your years out
With just a little ease
Where a man can afford to be ill
And that extra bill won't bring him to his knees
Now I'm so alone, I can't go home
How could a family understand?
That your love for them can do you in
Make you a desperate man

Though youth is gone still the heart draws you on
To devise foolhardy plans
You set aside your guilt for kingdoms built
On shifting desert sands