Four on the Floor

[Intro] At the midway gate, the ticket tears A painted pony waits beneath the stairs Its glass eyes click; its velvet jaw Counts down the guests, then breaks the law [Verse 1] The carousel is chained in place A stitched-on grin, a porcelain face Tin hooves tap out a marching tune Though every clock says afternoon The prize booth opens by itself A paper crown slips off the shelf The ponies turn as one to stare And every exit leads back there [Pre-Chorus] One step left, then four in time The gears agree; the bells all chime The room goes still, the floorboards shake The little brass band starts to wake [Chorus] Four on the floor, let the ponies parade Round through the hall where the bargains were made Step to the left, let the whole room reply We’re only pretending these mascots are shy Four on the floor, hear the old clock declare The night has a ticket with your name there Laugh if you like, but remember the score: One, two, three—then four on the floor [Verse 2] The ringmaster’s coat has moth-eaten tails He bows to the crowd as the house light pales A drummer pony lifts one wooden hand The snare rolls on, though no one’s in the band A mare in a bonnet offers a rose Its petals are felt; its stem never grows The stallion at the mirror tilts his head And mouths the joke before it’s said [Pre-Chorus] One step left, then four in time The gears agree; the bells all chime The room goes still, the floorboards shake The little brass band starts to wake [Chorus] Four on the floor, let the ponies parade Round through the hall where the bargains were made Step to the left, let the whole room reply We’re only pretending these mascots are shy Four on the floor, hear the old clock declare The night has a ticket with your name there Laugh if you like, but remember the score: One, two, three—then four on the floor [Bridge] I know you’re watching from behind that glass I see your face in the dark as you pass You thought the painted smile was part of the show But I learned your name from the sign-in below No need to run; the dance is quite fair We take one step, and you take one there The music stops, but the hooves keep count A little more than the ticket amount [Instrumental] [Final Chorus] Four on the floor, let the ponies parade Round through the hall where the bargains were made Step to the left, let the whole room reply We’re only pretending these mascots are shy Four on the floor, hear the old clock declare The night has a ticket with your name there Laugh if you like, but remember the score: One, two, three—then four on the floor [Outro] The midway gate swings gently wide The painted ponies wait inside Four slow steps fade down the hall Goodnight, dear guest. We’ll see you all.