CARNIVAL OF THE DAMNED [Carnivalgorecore] [Intro - warped calliope, music box, distant laughter] Step right up… Don’t mind the whispers. Don’t mind what’s moving behind the curtains. Everything has a price. [Ringmaster - theatrical whisper] Welcome to the Carnival of the Damned! Your ticket grants you entrance. Your memories pay the admission. [Verse 1 - sinister industrial groove] Cotton Candy Decayed, spun from spider thread, Lost little souls tangled where the sugar’s fed. Soul Taffy stretching memories thin, Graveyard Apples hiding something within. Widow’s Web Funnel Cake, Kettle Corn screams, Deadman’s Donuts stuffed full of dreams. Funeral Fudge, Rotten Rainbow Candy, Lost-Soul Lollipops changing every face. [Pre-Chorus - rising whispers] Crying Dolls… Button-Eye Bunnies… Stitched-up Bears that know your name. Marionettes dance without a hand, The Toy Box Child wants out again. [Chorus - explosive] WELCOME TO THE CARNIVAL OF THE DAMNED! STEP RIGHT UP, COME TAKE MY HAND! SWEET LITTLE NIGHTMARES, PRIZES AND PAIN! EVERYTHING HERE BELONGS TO THE DEAD! COTTON CANDY! BLOOD AND THREAD! YOU DON’T LEAVE THE WAY YOU CAME IN! [Verse 2 - aggressive rhythmic delivery] Ring Toss at Hangman’s Row, Shoot the Smile, watch the teeth below. Feed the Freak, Guess Your Grave, Hook the Soul from the blackened waves. Meat Grinder Carousel turning round, Vein Tunnel pulsing underground. Skinless Funhouse, Spider-Web Maze, Coffin Drop screaming through the haze. Bone Ferris Wheel above the town, Hall of Missing Faces staring down. [Breakdown - crushing guitars] WHACK! WHACK! GRAVE SHIFT! RING! RING! HANGMAN’S ROW! SPIN! SPIN! LET THE DEAD BELOW! [Bridge - eerie music box] Cotton-Candy Widow spins her web, Balloon Men float above the dead. Ticket Eater feeds on what you lost, Candy Butcher counts the cost. Soul Jars glow beneath the lights, Memory Globes freeze final nights. Carnival Teeth rattle in their bags, Blood-Ink Posters crawl across the flags. [Build - whispered call and response] WHAT’S IN THE CANDY? [Choir] SOULS! WHAT’S IN THE JAR? [Choir] MEMORIES! WHAT’S BEHIND THE RED DOOR? [Silence] [Whisper] You. [Final Chorus - massive] WELCOME TO THE CARNIVAL OF THE DAMNED! STEP RIGHT UP, COME TAKE MY HAND! RIDE THE WHEEL! OPEN THE JAR! SHAKE THE GLOBE! COUNT THE SCARS! HEART-SHAPED BALLOON! EMPTY COSTUME! LAST CAROUSEL HORSE! FORBIDDEN PRIZE! SOUL SPOOL SPINNING! RED TICKET WAITING! EVERY LOST SOUL GETS A PLACE IN THE SHOW! [Final Breakdown] ONE TICKET! ONE BITE! ONE SOUL! ONE NIGHT! [Ringmaster - fading] And if you can’t find what you’re looking for… …we can make it. [Music box stops] Step right up.
