Key:
Introduction: D#m C# B C# D#m C# B C#
D#m
Strike the tent
C#
Unpop the paintbox
B
And pack the carriages
C#
With the flesh freaks of fear
D#m C#
At the beach we left them shell shocked
B
Lining up the avenue
D#/A# D#m B A#
In view of next year
G#m G#m7 G#m6
High steppin' like a brigade
G#m6
Down the block, don't be shocked
G#m7 G#m6 G#m G F#7M
To hear somebody say "Wake up, Doomsday!"
F#7M G
It's time to join the big parade
G#m G#m7 G#m6 G#m7
Come and march in time with the band
G#m7
Playing loud, fighting crowds
G#m G F#7M
To see the matinee (it's tailor made)
F#7M
Yeah, because it's gonna be a brighter day
D#m F#7M
For the seeker of thrills behind the ferris wheels
B C#
There's a man with one foot in the grave and one foot on a banana peel
D#m F#7M
He's an actor of sorts who sold himself too short
B D#m
So now he travels door to door performing The real Death of a Salesman
D#m F#7M
Oh my country, tears of thee
B C#
How the circus makes the world safe for anarchy
D# F#7M B
In a cage with an uneasy chair atop a merry go round
D# G#m A A#
He wears that clown crown
G#m G#m7 G#m6 G#m G#m7
Can't you see that you can, come as you are
G#m7 G#m G F#7M
As you were if you prefer you can change (yes it can be arranged)
F#7M G
Oh, when you come and join the big parade
G#m G#m6
But you can leave your baggage at home, don't you pack, don't look back
G#m G F#7M
Then you can truly say "goodbye highway", that what then and this is nowadays
F#7M A#m B
Come on you big shot, enjoy the rain
C#
Take a class in pumping blood into those weathered veins
F# C# D#m E F# C# D#m E
And I bet you'd still come out as teacher's pet ooo ooo
A#m B
Cause when it comes to being watertight (you'll always be a plumber with a pipe dream)
B
You wrote that book, you own the copyright
C# F# C# D#m E
And clown costume
A# D F G# A A# D
I saw it hanging in the closet of your elbow room
G#m G#m7 G#m6 G#m7 G#m G F#7M
Ooh come and join the big parade
G#m G#m7 G#m6 G#m7 G#m G F#7M
Ooh it's gonna be a brighter day
G#m G#m7 G#m6 G#m7
If you've had it up to here with what's real
G#m G F#7M
I'm here to tell you that it's no big deal, because it's not too late
G#m6 G#m7 G#m6 G#m7 G#m6 G#m7 G#m6 G#m7 G#m6
Oh, if you hurry up you can come on and join the big charade (line up, shut up, clean up, and shave)
G#m7 G#m6 G#m7 G#m6
'Cause right behind you in the back of the fray
G#m7 G#m6 G#m G F#7M
Is a blade, he's a renegade turning bullshit into marmalade
F#7M
Don't you know there's gonna be a heavy price to pay (line up, shut up, clean up)
F#7M
Don't you know, for pushing all these clouds away (line up, shut up, clean up)
F#7M
Oh promised it would be, it's bound to be a brighter day (line up, shut up, clean up)
F#7M
It can't help but be a brighter day