The day the circus came to town
We lined the streets from Leith
To beyond belief
The day the circus came to town
The wind was light to moderate
And there was fog on higher ground

And everybody clapped or did not clap
When an orchestra swept past in drag
The day the circus came to town

The day the circus came to town
The department stores were crammed
Like hell with the Damned
The day the circus came to town
There were ten years in a decade
A hundred pennies in a pound

And everybody laughed or did not laugh
When a couple of mongrels coupled on the path
The day the circus came to town

I couldn't tell the two apart
But there's only room for one in my heart
Because being of one mind is a capital crime
I will pack and unpack at the drop of a hat
And join or leave that circus
At any given point in time

The day the circus came to town
It was overtime for the boys in blue
But they were dancing too But they were dancing too
The circus came to town
The fork was on the left and the knife was on the right
And the diner sat down

And everybody cheered or did not cheer
When a boy took off his hat and his hair appeared
The day the circus came to town

The day the circus came to town
God was in his heaven like a goldfish in a bowl
To the visible dismay of air traffic control
The day the circus came to town
Last night's party met the day's first hearse
And, spilling vodka on the wake made a fatal mistake
With a match and flabbergasted watched them all
Fall flambeed six feet underground

And everybody booed or did not boo
When the ghost of Deacon Brodie sawed a corpse in two
The day the circus came to town

I still can't tell the two apart
But there's only room for one in my heart
Because being of one mind is a capital crime
I will pack and unpack at the drop of a hat
And join or leave that circus
At any given point in time