Neil Young, Promise of the Real - Carnival lyrics

In a smoky tent I approached his loudness
Step by step up the long stairway
And looked into the barrel
At Evel Knievel's great-grandfather
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

He was flying by in a silver jacket
He rode there in the barrel wall rocket
Securely held by centrifugal forces
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

Every time he touched the edge
With the gas pipe gulp of the fumes in my
Lungs and melt my mind exploding
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

Flying through the air
With the greatest of ease
The daring young lady
In the greatest show on earth

The giant wheel turned in the sky
Its colors splashed in my eyes
The barkers calling to me on the midway
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

I held the picture in my eye
From a photo booth nearby
With a girl so lovely
I loved her dearly at the time
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

She had the sugar in her eyes
I was totally mesmerized
As we walked together towards the big top
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

Flying through the air
With the greatest of ease
The daring young lady
In the greatest show on earth

Aside the girl of flaming red hair
Later that day I returned there
Perhaps the devil himself had been the father
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

Then we consumed the giant midway
Taking it in 'til it threw us away
Yes, we wandered among the
Crowds of circusgoers, circusgoers
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

Eating fire and swallowing snakes
A potpourri of nature's mistakes
On display at the tent of the bearded ladies
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

Riding through the night
With the greatest of ease
The daring young lady
In the greatest show on earth

We were grinding to the human beat
There was nothing safe about it
Nothing was right and nothing was
Wrong on the midway
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

I do resent too much time was spent
In the tent of the strange elephant
Of enlightenment

My mind was free, my thoughts were pure
How much good could a man endure
As he made his way towards the big tower
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival

Flying through the air
With the greatest of ease
The daring young lady
In the greatest show on earth

Grinding through the night to the human beat
There's nothing safe about it
Nothing safe about the greatest show on earth
Carnival, carnival, carnival
Carnival, carnival, carnival
Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival