Big top looming by the barricade
Tent-pole gleaming like a long switchblade, uh-huh
Everybody's coming to the big parade
Now waving down the street there's a skull-and-bones
The cymbals crash and the tuba groans, uh-huh
Midgets are riding in the saxophones
And the musclemen are a million strong
Half a million slave girls crawl along
And the jugglers are juggling the acrobats
On a trailer being pulled by a hundred jungle cats

The girl on the stilts is holding tight
To the tail of a ten-foot purple kite, uh-huh
Waiting for the fireworks to ignite
Your hand holds tight to our daddy's hair
His back is breaking but you're not aware, uh-huh
Thought you seen an elephant over there
And the marching band is gaining speed
We're hiding in the alley as the elephants stampede
And the bass drums crash off alley walls
The girl lets go of the kite and falls
And the old folks flee to the shopping malls
And I can hear you saying
"I can't wait for the clowns"

I seen her in the alley dancing cheek-to-cheek
With the tattooed lady and the painted geek, uh-huh
And I huddled in the shadow too afraid to speak
As our sweet young sister turned her head like an owl
And spoke a whole sentence with just one vowel, uh-huh
If I can just make it home somehow
I'll never walk along past dark again
I'll tuck myself in sharp at half-past-ten
And when I see her creeping up the stairs past three
I'll thank the good lord cos it coulda been me
But I guess you're sticking 'round for the fat lady
Cos I can hear you saying
"I can't wait for the clowns"

Everybody now they just do what they please
They're hanging all the cops from the high trapeze, uh-huh
Spreading through the city like a new disease
And the school went up in a ball of flame
But you're waiting by the barricade just the same, uh-huh
I'm tugging on your elbow and calling your name
And the skinny little man in the tall top hat
Takes a deep bow and says, "Well, folks, that's that"
And the very last streamer has been thrown
You're waiting by the barricade all alone
And you're listening hard for that tuba groan
And I can hear you saying
"I can't wait for the clowns"