Freakshow Lyrics - Ani Difranco

Life in the circus ain't easy 

But the folks on the outside don't know 

The tent goes up and the tent comes down 

And all that they see is the show 

And the ladies on the horses look so pretty 

And the lions are lookin' real mad 

And some of the clowns are happy 

And some of the clowns are sad 

But underneath 

There's another expression 

That the makeup isn't making 

Life under the big top 

It's about freedom 

It's about faking 

There's an art to the laughter 

There's a science 

And there's a lot of love and compliance 

Welcome to the freak show 

Here we go 

We live to hear the slak-jawed gasping 

We live under a halo of held breath 

And when the children raise up a giant shield 

Of laughter, it's like they're fending off death 

And we can make something bigger 

Than any one of us alone 

And then the clowns will take off their makeup 

And the people will go home 

But life on the outside ain't easy 

No sequins, no elephants 

No parading around 

Oh the circus comes 

And the circus goes 

And they're stuck in this fucking town 

You need a lot of love and compliance 

Welcome to the freak show 

Here we go