Carnival / Carnevale
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 racket
Securely held by centrifugal forces
(Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival)
Every time he touched the edge
With a gasp I gulped the fumes
In my lungs and felt 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 flashed 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 a girl of flaming red hair
Later that day I returned there
Perhaps the devil himself had been her 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 circus goers
Circus goers
(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)
Grinding 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 top?
(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)
* * * *
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 racket
Securely held by centrifugal forces
(Carnival, carnival, carnival, carnival)
Every time he touched the edge
With a gasp I gulped the fumes
In my lungs and felt 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 flashed 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 a girl of flaming red hair
Later that day I returned there
Perhaps the devil himself had been her 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 circus goers
Circus goers
(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)
Grinding 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 top?
(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)
* * * *
In un tendone fumoso mi sono avvicinato al suo frastuono
Passo dopo passo su per la lunga scala
E ho guardato nel cilindro dell'Evel Knievel's Great Grandfather (1)
(Carnevale, carnevale, carnevale, carnevale)
Lui volava radente in una giacca argentata
Cavalcava lungo le mura del barile
Trattenuto dalla forza centrifuga
(Carnevale, carnevale, carnevale, carnevale)
Ogni volta che toccava il bordo
Con un sussulto inghiottivo i gas di scarico
Fin giù nei polmoni e sentivo la mia mente esplodere
(Carnevale, carnevale, carnevale, carnevale)
Volando nell'aria
Con portentosa facilità
L'audace ragazza
Nel più grande spettacolo sulla Terra
La grande ruota girava nel cielo
I suoi colori sfolgoravano nei miei occhi
Gli imbonitori mi chiamavano sulla strada
(Carnevale, carnevale, carnevale, carnevale)
Trattenevo l'immagine nei miei occhi
Da una cabina fotografica lì vicino
Con una ragazza così carina, un tempo l'amavo con tutto il cuore
(Carnevale, carnevale, carnevale, carnevale)
Aveva lo zucchero negli occhi
Io ero totalmente ipnotizzato
Mentre camminavamo assieme verso il tendone
(Carnevale, carnevale, carnevale, carnevale)
Volando nell'aria
Con portentosa facilità
L'audace ragazza
Nel più grande spettacolo sulla Terra
In disparte una ragazza dai capelli rossi fiammanti
Più tardi quel giorno tornai là
Forse il diavolo stesso l'aveva concepita
(Carnevale, carnevale, carnevale, carnevale)
Poi divorammo la gigantesca strada
Facendo a turno finché non ci spazzò via
Sì, ci mescolavamo alla gente che frequentava il circo
Che frequentava il circo
(Carnevale, carnevale, carnevale, carnevale)
Mangiando fuoco e ingoiando serpenti
Un potpourri di errori della natura
In mostra nella tenda delle donne barbute
(Carnevale, carnevale, carnevale, carnevale)
Macinando attraverso la notte
Con grande facilità
L'audace ragazza
Nel più grande spettacolo sulla Terra
Stavamo macinando al ritmo umano
Non c'era niente di sicuro a riguardo
Niente era giusto e niente era sbagliato sulla strada
(Carnevale, carnevale, carnevale, carnevale)
Non lo sopporto proprio
Troppo tempo fu speso
Nel tendone dello strano Elefante dell'Illuminazione
(Carnevale, carnevale, carnevale, carnevale)
La mia mente era libera, i miei pensieri puri
Quanto bene può sopportare un uomo
Mentre trova la sua strada verso il tendone?
(Carnevale, carnevale, carnevale, carnevale)
Volando nell'aria
Con portentosa facilità
L'audace ragazza
Nel più grande spettacolo sulla Terra
Stavamo macinando attraverso la notte, al ritmo umano
Non c'era niente di sicuro a riguardo
Niente di sicuro sul più grande spettacolo sulla Terra
(Carnevale, carnevale, carnevale, carnevale, carnevale, carnevale)
(Carnevale, carnevale, carnevale, carnevale)
(1) La prima parte della canzone fa riferimento allo stuntman motociclista Evel Knievel e al numero acrobatico in cui il pilota guida la moto sulle pareti circolari di un grande barile o cilindro.