There's a dancer in the valley. keeps her baby backstage
She's been working for awhile, but I can't say her age
[?] Jasmine [?] take a little break
While all the truckers and the carnies go next door to smoke and wait
The carnival arrives like they do in the dark
And with it comes the grifters riding toothless bumper cars
Jasmine hears the rumble on her breaks and sees the lights
She wants to get off early, take her boy out to the rides

Step right up and collect the prize
All I wanna do is maybe ride a ride
The Himalaya or the Tilt-A-Whirl
She's a pretty Upper Mississippi River Valley girl

You know the kind of guy that thinks you listen when they talk?
I just wanna ride a ride with her and take a walk
He always cuts my grass, kills my time, and when he talks
He opens up his mouth and his brains come tumbling out
Says, "My contacts in the field tell me all the time
There's a steakhouse in the valley where they give away the wine
I suggest you give me the [?] you got, and the cash in your pants
And if they run out of the special, you'll do all right with the lamb"

(Spoken)
I don't even know what the hell you're talkin' about, man
Step right up and collect the prize
All I wanna do is maybe ride a ride
The Himalaya or the Tilt-A-Whirl
With that pretty Upper Mississippi River Valley girl

I watch her burn across the midway leaving traces in the dark
Where all the daughters walk like mothers, and the mothers walk like stars
The locals sit with carnies in their trucks out near the field
They're all backed against the fence line, drinking beers and doing reels
Up and down and whips around, it's thrilling that she's [?]
The most thrilling looking mother's now a child back in line
She said, "Hold the baby, where's my ticket?" and "Wish me lots of luck"
And what's that song I hear them singing out among the trucks?
And the DJ from the Himalaya's playing it all night long
It's the Upper Mississippi River Valley girl song

Step right up and collect the prize
All I wanna do is maybe ride a ride
The Himalaya or the Tilt-A-Whirl
With that pretty Upper Mississippi River Valley girl
That pretty Upper Mississippi River Valley girl