By townes van zandt
The drunken clownand's still hanging round
but it plain the laughterand's all died down
the tears you tried so hard to hide
are flowinand'
a blind man with his knife in hand
has convinced himself that he understands
i wish him well, miss carousel
but i gotta be a-goinand'
wonand't you come and get me when
youand're sure that you donand't need me then
i stand outside your window
and proudly call your name
the ladies been told that all of gold
is worth so much it canand't be sold
no time to weep sheand'll need her sleep
tomorrow
when she carries her face to the market place
and bets it on the opening race
she can ring her bells, miss carousel,
but her singing brings me sorrow
itand's always done every motherand's son
is shown that grown men never run
and so they fight with all the might
inside them
when the battleand's been fought and they all been taught
that the trick is just not being caught
will you give them hell, miss carousel,
when theyand're begging you to hide them
when the need arose your eyes fell closed
you clamped your fingers round your nose
would you say thatand's any way
to judge him
you havenand't got the authority
to kill him in the first degree
but would you feel compelled, miss carousel,
if you have something to begrudge him
on a velvet beach far beneath the reach
of those that come to pray and preach
the natural man who tries to stand
is fallin
how long will it be before he sees
you own his legs but his mind is free
only you can tell, miss carousel,
how long will he be crawling?
the castle walls has grown so tall
seem there ainand't no hope at all
to reach the top even though you stop
for breathinand'
but i ainand't gonna try to make you cry
the tear drops couldnand't find your eye
itand's all been swell, miss carousel,
but the time has come for leavinand'