[Verse 1] He stepped off slow from the evening train, A scuffed-up case with a rust-red stain. A tip of the brim, a coin-bright shoe, And every clock skipped a beat or two. [Pre-Chorus] A corner cleared, a stool was found, He set that crooked suitcase down. [Chorus] Out came the tent with crimson trim, The air went cold and the lamps went dim. The curtains curled like paper skin, And a wooden horse wore a porcelain grin. [Verse 2] The juggler tossed invisible rings, The acrobat danced on piano strings. A gramophone coughed a scratchy waltz, A tin bird sprang from a grandfather clock. [Bridge] What’s with the bat? Who let him out? Is this for real? He’s skittering about! [Verse 3] They leaned in close, but none could say What held them there or made them stay. A hand too warm, a breath too near, No one blinked (they're still here) [Verse 4] Bone-thin dancers, hollow-cheeked, They bowed in pairs on Mercy Street. The skeleton cats took a final bow, The tent bent low and folded down. [Verse 5] He walked in time and whistled a tune, Past shuttered shops and locked saloons. Each night a show, each day erased, And towns woke up with a missing face. [Final Chorus] The lanterns dim, the seams draw thin, The carousel folds itself back in. No rope remains, no ring, no crate, Just one man strolling out the gate. [Outro] Turn the crank, tilt the hat, Five waltzes, fold them back. Wind it slow, turn the tin, Four waltzes folding in. Hold your breath, count it right, Three waltzes, snuff the light. Final step, close the case, Two waltzes, clear the place. Tip the brim, click the latch, One small waltz, no one claps. Suitcase show (suitcase show) Suitcase show Voilà!
