[Intro: Shock-rock male lead, creepy carnival keyboard line, sneering spoken snarl] Step right up, the sign still says One way in and this way out [Verse 1: Shock-rock male lead, pounding rock drums, sneering overdriven guitar riff, shock-rock snarl] Boards across the door and the paint gone gray Funhouse at the end of the pier gave way Halloween and the shortcut home goes through So I ducked the chain like the brave kids do Hall of mirrors and the glass ain't right Every me inside it is a half beat slight I raise my hand and the hands come late And the last one in the row don't wait Painted clowns with the paint still wet Painted grins that ain't finished yet And an arrow on the wall in a carny red This way out is what the arrow said [Hook: Shock-rock male lead, full band, howling shock-rock hook] Arrow on the wall sayin' this way out Painted up in red like a crooked shout Every arrow's grinnin' like it knows the route And it never, ever, ever leads me out [Verse 2: Shock-rock male lead, sneering overdriven guitar riff, pounding rock drums] Took the left at the barrel and the barrel rolled Took the stairs to a slide and the slide went cold Took a door with a moon and a door with a sun Every door had an arrow and the arrows had fun Laughin' bag in a booth started laughin' my name Every hall that I ran down was the same hall again Ha, I said, it's a joke, it's a ride, it's a game And the mirrors all said it with me, half beat late, the same There's a door marked out in a light bulb glow And I hit it with my shoulder and I let it go [Hook: Shock-rock male lead, full band, howling shock-rock hook] Arrow on the wall sayin' this way out Painted up in red like a crooked shout Every arrow's grinnin' like it knows the route And it never, ever, ever leads me out [Breakdown: Shock-rock male lead, tilt-room lurch, the beat staggers off balance for two bars then slams back square] Fresh air, boardwalk, I can see the moon Then the barker's voice says, kid, you're out too soon I'm at the front, I'm at the gate, I'm at the grinnin' sign And there's kids behind me, kid, they're all in line Step right up, it says, step right up One way in and this way out [Final Hook: Shock-rock male lead, full band, howling shock-rock hook] Arrow on the wall sayin' this way out Painted up in red like a crooked shout Every arrow's grinnin' like it knows the route And it never, ever, ever leads me out [End]
