There's a clown      And he's painting his face with a smile      But he's frowning inside all the while      Making plans for the show of his life         There's a light      That was turned off inside him one night      Extinguished and hidden and cold      But not out      Now the flame burns dark         Roll up roll up      Get down get down      The carnival is coming to town      The curtains up      The lights are down      The carnival is coming to town         People come from miles around      To come and see the show      Fireworks and candles      That everybody knows      And so it goes      There's a circus every day      And it really takes your breath away         There's a man      And he's trying as hard as he can      To believe what he's doing is right      After all he always draws a crowd         There's a sigh      As the carnival lights up the sky      And the crowd go their separate ways      No one shows, but everybody pays         Roll up roll up      Get down get down      The carnival is coming to town      The curtains up      The lights are down      The carnival is coming to town         People come from miles around      To come and see the show      Fireworks and candles      That everybody knows      And so it goes      There's a circus every day      And it really takes your breath away         You really should have been there      We laughed until we cried      They really brought the house down      But none of us survived         Roll up roll up roll up      The lights are down      The carnival is coming      The carnival is coming      The carnival is coming      The carnival is coming      The carnival is coming      It's coming...