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