[Verse 1]
In a smoky tent I approached his loudness
Step by step up the long stairway
And looked into the barrel at Evel Knievel's great grandfather
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival
[Verse 2]
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
[Verse 3]
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
[Chorus]
Flying through the air
With the greatest of ease
The daring young lady
In the greatest show on earth
[Verse 4]
The giant wheel turned in the sky
Its colors splashed in my eye
The barkers calling to me on the midway
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival
[Verse 5]
I held the picture in my eye
From a photo booth nearby
With a girl so lovely
I loved her dearly at the time
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival
[Verse 6]
She had the sugar in her eyes
I was totally mesmerized
As we walked together towards the big top
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival
[Chorus]
Flying through the air
With the greatest of ease
The daring young lady
In the greatest show on earth
[Verse 7]
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
[Verse 8]
Then we consumed the giant midway
Taking it in 'til it threw us away
Yes, we wandered among the crowds of circusgoers, circusgoers
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival
[Verse 9]
Eating fire and swallowing snakes
A potpourri of nature's mistakes
On display at the tent of the bearded ladies
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival
[Chorus]
Grinding through the night
With the greatest of ease
The daring young lady
In the greatest show on earth
[Verse 10]
We were grinding to the human beat
There was nothing safe about it
Nothing was right and nothing was wrong
On the midway
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival
[Verse 11]
I do resent
Too much time was spent
In the tent of the strange
Elephant of enlightenment
[Verse 12]
My mind was free, my thoughts were pure
How much good could a man endure?
As he made his way towards the big top
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival
[Chorus]
Flying through the air
With the greatest of ease
The daring young lady
In the greatest show on earth
[Verse 13]
Grinding through the night
To the human beat
There is nothing safe about it
Nothing safe about the greatest show on earth
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival
Carnival, carnival
[Outro]
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival
READ MORE ABOUT NEIL YOUNG
