Fare Thee Well, Miss Carousel - Townes Van Zandt

Well the drunken clown’s still hanging 'round

But it’s plain the laughter’s all died down

The tears you tried so hard to hide are flowing

And a blind man with his knife in hand

Has convinced himself that he understands

I wish him well, Miss Carousel

But I gotta be a-goin'

Won’t you come and get me when

You’re sure that you don’t need me then

I’ll stand outside your window

And proudly call your name

Well the lady’s been told that all the gold

Is worth so much it can’t be sold

No time to weep, she’ll need her sleep tomorrow

When she carries her face to the market place

And bets it on the opening race

She can ring her bells, Miss Carousel

But her singing brings me sorrow

Won’t you come and get me when

You’re sure that you don’t need me then

I’ll stand outside your window

And I’ll proudly call your name

Well, it’s always done, every mother’s son

Is shown that grown men never run

So they fight with all the might inside them

When the battle’s been fought and they’ve all been taught

That the trick is just not being caught

Will you give 'em hell, Miss Carousel

When they’re begging you to hide them

Won’t you come and get me when

You’re sure that you don’t need me then

I’ll stand outside your window

And proudly call your name

When the need arose, your eyes fell closed

You clamped your fingers 'round your nose

Would you say that’s any way to judge him?

Well, you haven’t got the authority

To kill him in the first degree

But would you feel compelled, Miss Carousel

If you had something to begrudge him?

On a velvet beach far beneath the reach

Of those that come to pry and preach

The natural man that tried to stand is fallin'

Well how long will it be before he sees

You own his legs but his mind is free

Only you can tell, Miss Carousel

How long will he be crawling?

Won’t you come and get me when

You’re sure that you don’t need me then

I’ll stand outside your window

And proudly call your name

Ah the castle wall’s grown so tall

Seems there ain’t no hope at all

To reach the top

Even though you stop for breathing

But I ain’t gonna try to make you cry

The tear drops couldn’t find your eyes

It’s all been swell, Miss Carousel

But the time has come for leaving

Won’t you come and get me when

You’re sure that you don’t need me then

I’ll stand outside your window

And proudly call your name

Won’t you come and get me when

You’re sure that you don’t need me then

I’ll stand outside your window

And proudly call your name

Won’t you come and get me when

You’re sure that you don’t need me then

I’ll stand outside your window

And proudly call your name

Won’t you come and get me when

You’re sure that you don’t need me then

I’ll stand outside your window

And proudly call your name