Tom: C

Intro:  G with lick

      C                  D                   G
The machinist climbs his ferris wheel like a brave
        C                       D                            G
And the fire eater's lyin' in a pool of sweat, victim of the heatwave
           C                   D                        G                 C
Behind the tent the hired hand tightens his legs on the sword swallower's blade
                         G         C  G  C  G
And circus town's on the shortwave
    C            D                       G
The runway lies ahead like a great false dawn
        C                     D                 G
Woh fat lady, big mama, Missy Bimbo sits in her chair and yawns
        C                     D                G
And the man-beast lies in his cage sniffin' popcorn
       C                   D                G             C
As the midget licks his fingers and suffers Missy Bimbo's scorn
                   G
Circus town's been born
            C
Whoa, and a press roll drummer go, ballerina to and fro
                        G                C
Cartwheelin' up on that tightrope with a cannon blast lightin' flash
                                                   G
Movin' fast through the tent Mars bent, he's gonna miss his fall
                      D
Oh God save the human cannonball.
        C                                      G
And the flying Zambinis watch Margarita do her neck twist,
        C                                                            Am          D
And the ringmaster gets the crowd to count along Ninety-five, ninety-six, ninety-seven
         C                               D                      Em
A ragged suitcase in his hand, he steals silently away from the circus grounds
        C                        D
And the highway's haunted by the carnival sounds
                  Em                D            C
They dance like a great greasepaint ghost on the wind
         Bm                    Em              C
A man in baggy pants, a lonely face, a crazy grin
        G            F      C        Em
Runnin' home to some small Ohio town
      G                       D
Jesus send some good women to save all your clowns
    C                        D                      G
And circus boy dances like a monkey on barbed wire
        C                      D                        G
And the barker romances with a junkie, she's got a flat tire,
            C                    D             G                        C
And now the elephants dance real funky and the band plays like a jungle fire
                       G
Circus town's on the live wire
        C
And the strong man Sampson lifts the midget little Tiny Tim way up on his shoulders, way up
                            G               C              G
And carries him on down the midway past the kids, past the sailors
      C               G
To his dimly lit trailer
        C                      G                        Dsus4      D
And the ferris wheel turns and turns like it ain't ever gonna stop
        Dsus4
And the circus boss leans over
             D                       Dsus4
And whispers in the little boy's ear
    C                      G
Hey son, you wanna try the big top?
     C                     G           G
All aboard, Nebraska's our next stop.