Now, friends listen well, let me tell you a story I remember just like yesterday Of a footloose young lad who ran off with the circus Much to his mama's dismay He was cleaning up after the elephants when This high-flying trapeze girl smiled down In search of a handsome companion because She had just broken up with a clown Now the with one graceful aerial flip he was smitten With her and her little tutu Standing there love struck, why he almost stumbled Into the elephants doing their tricks And the ringmaster smiled tipped his top hat and said "Son, bid adieu to your heart" And his words rang true right there under the bleachers Soon after that big top went dark Now, the old bearded lady, she whispered, "Be careful" On the train to the very next town And the handful of midgets who ride unicycles Peddled by with one smile and four frowns So he had a vague sense of uneasiness when His new sweetheart opened the door And he knew when he saw the clown standing behind her In front of her, there stood one more Now, I can't say for sure if it was Barnum or Bailey To whom I handed the note But a tall skinny feller standing on stilts First read these words that I wrote It said, 'I promise to never again give my heart To some high flying trapeze girl Goodbye cruel circus I'm off to join the world'