Lyrics Carnival - Neil Young, Promise Of The Real

Carnival

In a smoky tent I approached his loudness
Step by step up the long stairway
And looked into the barrel at Evel Knievel’s greatgrandfather
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival
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
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
Flying through the air
With the greatest of ease
The daring young lady
In the greatest show on earth
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
I held the picture in my eye
From a photo booth near by
With a girl so lovely
I loved hear dearly at the time
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival
She had the sugar in her eyes
I was totally mesmerized
As we walked together towards the big tower
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival
Flying through the air
With the greatest of ease
The daring young lady
In the greatest show on earth
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
Then we consumed the giant midway
Taking it in 'til it threw us away
Yes, we wandered among the crowds of circus goers, circus goers
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival
Eating fire and swallowing snakes
A potpourri of nature’s mistakes
On display at the tent of the bearded ladies
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival
Riding through the night
With the greatest of ease
The daring young lady
In the greatest show on earth
We were grinding to the human beast
There was nothing safe about it
Nothing was right and nothing was wrong on the midway
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival
I do resent
Too much time was spent
In the tent of the strange elephant of enlightenment
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
Flying through the air
With the greatest of ease
The daring young lady
In the greatest show on earth
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