Wild Billy's Circus Story

Intro: | | The Machinist climbs his ferris wheel like a brave   And the fireeater’s lyin’ in a pool of sweat victim of the heatwave Behind the tent the hired hand tightens his legs on the sword swallowers blade Circus town’s on the shortwave Well the runway lies ahead like a great false dawn Fat lady big mama Missy Bimbo sits in her chair and yawns And the man-beast lies in his cage sniffin’ popcorn   And the midget licks his fingers and suffers Missy Bimbo’s scorn Circus town’s been born. Whoa and a press roll drummer go ballerina to-and-fro cartwheelin’ up on that tightrope With a cannon blast lightin’ flash movin’ fast through the tent Mars bent He’s gonna miss his fall   Oh God save the human cannonball. And the flying Zambini’s watch Marguarita do her neck twist And the ringmaster gets the crowd to count along: 95 96 97. A ragged suitcase in his hand he steals silently away from the circus grounds And the highway’s haunted by the carnival sounds They dance like a great greasepaint ghost on the wind A man in baggy pants a lonely face a crazy grin   Runnin’ home to some small Ohio town Jesus send some sweet women to save all your clowns And circus boy dances like a monkey on barbed wire   And the barker romances with a junkie she’s got a flat tire And now the elephants dance real funky and the band plays like a jungle fire Circus town’s on the live wire. And the strong man Sampson lifts the midget little Tiny Tim up on his shoulders way up And carries carries him on down the midway past the kids past the sailors to his dimly lit trailer And the ferris wheel turns and turns like it ain’t ever gonna stop And the circus boss leans over and whispers in the little boy’s ear   Hey son you want to try the big top? All aboard Nebraska’s our next stop.