[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 1]
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 eyes
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 1]
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 2]
Riding 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 tower
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival
[Chorus]
Flying through the air
With the greatest of ease
The daring young lady
In the greatest show on earth

[Outro]
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