It started in basements
And it started in sheds
It started in backyards
And was hidden under bedsI turned on the TV
Don't believe a word they say
We can't stay here now, love
And we can't get awayThere's a riot on Sunset
And fires burn in the park
The sun has set, my friend
And California's darkAnd over the screaming
I heard a clear voice
I looked at my choices
Yeah, and I made a choiceSmoke and ashes
Tonight hide the stars
The stop lights are red now, love
We come for what's oursThere's a riot on Sunset
And fires burn in the park
The sun has set my friend
And California's darkCome stand among the rattlesnakes
At the side of the desert road
And close your eyes and listen
To the music hard and coldTonight the moon is blackened
Tonight the doors are shut
Behind the shuttered windows
We pray that the sun will come upFor something walks across these fields
For which there is no name
Now, you might have heard different, sonny
But I was there when it cameIt will start with a spark
And a great fire will grow
Don't know how I know it, man
Yeah, but I just knowThere's a riot on Sunset
And fires burn in the park
The sun sets everywhere
And the whole damn country's dark, yeahNow, there's a riot on Sunset
And fires burnin' in the park
The sun has set my friend
And California's dark