Though it’s considerably shorter in the video, this song has a long instrumental intro and I honestly think it could do without it. The video has substituted it for the sound of a desert on a windy day and a partial instrumental. Not really liking that either, but I still like the song. The lyrics are easy to relate to.
I found the song a few months before I met Pat at a book signing about 2 or 3 years back. It reminded me of leaving college and losing touch with many people, including a guy, that today, I haven’t seen or spoken to in nearly two years.
Painted Desert was released in November of 1984 from Pat’s sixth studio album, Tropico. This album also included her successful ballad, We Belong. Based on research, it was a single but either it wasn’t released in the United States or never made the charts. It may have been an exclusive release solely overseas. I found the cover art for the Germany release HERE.
You know that this town’s like a painted desert. Dead heat movin’ in the city. I’m lost in a painted desert…in a painted desert without you.
