Lyrics Graham Parker

Graham Parker

They Murdered The Clown

The ringmaster looked a bit pasty and down Dying as he was to get out of town

The lions and the tigers had gnawed at his feet

But the lion tamer's whip hurt much more than their teeth

The Giovanni Sisters performed in a sweat Someone cut holes in the safety net

The Ritzo Brothers cancelled at the last minute

But no one missed their act there wasn't much in it

And after the show that night

The clowns had the makeup wiped from their faces

When somebody pulled a knife

and cut off Coco's bright red braces

They murdered the clown

They wiped that grin right off his face

They murdered the clown

Still the world's not a funnier place

funnier place (first and last time only)

The kids rode the elephant heavy as lead

I think he'd much rather have sat on their heads

They're ripping the horn from the Rhino tonight

So some fat Sheik can fuck all night

And watch out for Coco when he's had a drink

He'll tickle the children right where they're pink

You might run away with the circus for fun

But it looks more like somewhere that you'd run from

You should see the fear on the dancing bears' faces

Take off their muzzles and check out the view

The gypsy boys seem such colourful characters

But you wouldn't want them moving in next to you

And after the whole lot has pulled out of town

The ringmaster still looks like he's going to drown

He pulls out a long knife that bears his initials

And buries it deep before he blows the whistle

She looked at him sideways she looked at him dark

She pulled at her beard and she started to bark

He told her before not to mess with the staff

But she fell for the clown Because she said he made her laugh