"Fare Thee Well, Miss Carousel" lyrics
(originally by 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 got to 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 they have 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'
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 has 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 I proudly call your name
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 got to 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 they have 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'
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 has 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 I proudly call your name
Writer(s): John Townes Van Zandt
