Everybody's jumping on the circus train
Some jump high, some jump off again
And the razzmatazz is rolling, women folk unveiled
All truths to light, all crosses nailed

Aiming high where the eagle circles
Where he keeps his tail feathers clean
And wonders am I still a free bird
Or just a part of the machine

They hitch their covered wagons and they roll out west
Politics in the pockets of their Sunday best
Shaking hands, kissing babies for all that they're worth
Oh, they promise you gold, promise heaven on earth

Still, that old bald eagle circles
It's not the first time that he's seen
His reflection in the eyes of innocence
He's become just another part of the machine

Part of the machine

I wish I had an eagle like you
To look up to
He could be my wings to fly in a big bird sky
Up above the whole machine
Part of the machine

Smart guys aren't running, they're home and dry
Up in the mountains where the eagle flies
They wouldn't take that job offered on a plate
They gotta fly with the eagle and he won't wait

Looking down on the smoke and the factories
'Til the truth creeps up unseen
They see themselves in the faces of their children
And realize they too are part of the machine

Part of the machine

I wish I had an eagle like you
To wake up to
He could be my wings to fly
In a big bird sky

Hey, let's be part of the machine
Part of the machine
Part of the machine