[Verse 1] Pulled up by the fence line Past the rusted gate Saw a painted grin That didn't blink its face Ticket in a metal hand Warm like stolen bread It said, step right up I heard the words it said A clown in chrome skin Stood under the arch With a tray of sugar apples And a camera for a heart It bowed too low Then it smiled too wide Like it knew my name And wanted me inside [Pre-Chorus] Hear that calliope cry Through the shuttered night Little gears in the dark Spinning out of sight The ferris wheel turns Like a blade in prayer And the girl with the velvet eyes Is already there [Chorus] Come to the carnival Come to the carnival Run if you can It still wants your hand Come to the carnival Come to the carnival Smile for the cage And dance in the rain [Verse 2] She had porcelain cheeks And a blood-red bow Voice like a chapel bell Broken soft and low She offered me a ring Cut from polished steel Said, put it on You'll see what I feel Behind the funhouse glass Bodies moved in rows Some were made of laughter Some were made of bones A midway king with chrome teeth Rolled a silver die Every time it landed Someone lost their eyes [Pre-Chorus] Hear that calliope cry Through the shuttered night Little gears in the dark Spinning out of sight The ferris wheel turns Like a blade in prayer And the girl with the velvet eyes Is already there [Chorus] Come to the carnival Come to the carnival Run if you can It still wants your hand Come to the carnival Come to the carnival Smile for the cage And dance in the rain [Bridge] [Half-time break] I saw the truth in the mirror maze A human face with a steel parade Every laugh was a warning light Every prize was a fight for your life It reached for me With a tender hand Then snapped like a trap On the poplar stand Now the banners burn And the popcorn stings But the beast still hums Through the broken strings [Final Chorus] Come to the carnival Come to the carnival Run if you can It still wants your hand Come to the carnival Come to the carnival Smile for the cage And dance in the rain Come to the carnival Come to the carnival Hear the funhouse moan You're not going home Come to the carnival Come to the carnival The wheels keep turning And the blade keeps singing
