[Verse 1]
The lights are bright in the circus
The geeks and the freaks all light cigarettes
And laugh at your misery
While the weight of the curtain closing crushes your heart
The inertia of loneliness tears your flesh apart

[Chorus]
It's a long slow slide
It's a long slow slide
It's a long slow slide
Down

[Verse 2]
Once the neon is gone
There's still that golden splinter at your side
His manners are charming
But who are you fooling?
You are still nobody's bride
While Bukowski's widow
Haunts each empty seat on the ferris wheel
As ghoulish lovers collide in a collage of kisses that they steal

[Chorus]
It's a long slow slide
It's a long slow slide
It's a long slow slide
Down
[Verse 3]
And outside the window
The circus crackles and lurches with rings of smoke
You laugh halfheartedly at the punchline
Not realizing they've made you the joke
Inside my heart a war is raging
A region still untamed
The worst fear I can imagine is for the mystery to be named
For the mystery to be named

[Chorus]
It's a long slow slide
A long slow slide
It's a long slow slide
It's a long slow slide
It's a long slow slide
It's a long slow slide
Down