Freakshow - Ani DiFranco

Life in the circus it ain’t easy

But the people on the outside don’t know

The tent goes up and the tent comes down

And all that they see is the show

And the ladies on the horses look so pretty

And the lions are lookin real mad

And some of the clowns are happy

And some of the clowns are sad

But underneath

There’s an expression

That the makeup is not making

Life under the big top

It’s about freedom

It’s about faking

There’s an art to the laughter

There’s a science

You need a lot of love

And compliance

Welcome to the freakshow

Here we go…

We live to hear the slack-jawed gasping

We live under a halo of held breath

And when the children raise up a giant shield

Of laughter, it’s like they’re fending off death

And we can make somethig bigger

Then anyone of us alone

And then the clowns will take off their makeup

And the people will go home

But life on the outside ain’t easy

No sequins, no elephants

No parading around

Yeah, the tent goes up

And the tent comes down

And they’re stuck in this fucking town

You need a lot of love and compliance

Welcome to the freakshow

Here we go