I work the high wire in the center ring
Defyin' gravity, that's my thing
Guess I never wanted no regular life
I couldn't stand to be nobody's wife

Some people tell me that I'm livin' their dream
But things in the circus ain't what they seem
Believe me, darlin', it's a lonely world
It ain't easy for a circus girl

Nobody knows you when you come to town
You're somebody's hero or you're somebody's clown
And you hope like hell that it'll be enough
'Cause you're nobody's baby when the sun comes up

You can dazzle 'em with beauty
Make 'em laugh until they cry
You can give 'em the thrill of a lifetime
But they always say goodbye

It's just that sometimes I get so tired
Of goin' nowhere on that little wire
I'd like to plant my feet on solid ground
But God have mercy, it's a long way down

So I climb that ladder right on up to the sky
I don't look down and I don't ask why
And just for a moment I'm on top of the world
Just for a moment I'm a circus girl