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 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 her 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 exempt 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 Riding through the night To the human beast There's nothing safe about it Nothing safe about the greatest show on earth (Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival) (Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival)