Carnival - Neil Young, Promise Of The Real

In a smoky tent I approached his loudness

Step by step up the long stairway

And looked into the barrel at Evel Knievel’s greatgrandfather

Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

He was flying by in a silver jacket

He rode there in the barrel wall rocket

Securely held by centrifugal forces

Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

Every time he touched the edge

With the gas pipe gulp of the fumes in my lungs and melt my mind

Exploding

Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

Flying through the air

With the greatest of ease

The daring young lady

In the greatest show on earth

The giant wheel turned in the sky

Its colors splashed in my eyes

The barkers calling to me on the midway

Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

I held the picture in my eye

From a photo booth near by

With a girl so lovely

I loved hear dearly at the time

Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

She had the sugar in her eyes

I was totally mesmerized

As we walked together towards the big tower

Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

Flying through the air

With the greatest of ease

The daring young lady

In the greatest show on earth

Aside the girl of flaming red hair

Later that day I returned there

Perhaps the devil himself had been the father

Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

Then we consumed the giant midway

Taking it in 'til it threw us away

Yes, we wandered among the crowds of circus goers, circus goers

Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

Eating fire and swallowing snakes

A potpourri of nature’s mistakes

On display at the tent of the bearded ladies

Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

Riding through the night

With the greatest of ease

The daring young lady

In the greatest show on earth

We were grinding to the human beast

There was nothing safe about it

Nothing was right and nothing was wrong on the midway

Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

I do resent

Too much time was spent

In the tent of the strange elephant of enlightenment

My mind was free

My thoughts were pure

How much good could a man endure

As he made his way towards the big tower

Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

Flying through the air

With the greatest of ease

The daring young lady

In the greatest show on earth

Grinding through the night

To the human beat

There’s nothing safe about it

Nothing safe about the greatest show on earth

Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival