Circus of Freak

Intro

Calliope ticking like a broken watch, oh-oh

Painted smiles and cracked lacquer, uh-huh

(da-da) welcome to the parade of teeth

Come closer, come closer, come closer (come on)

Verse

He spins a coin on his tongue, a silver lie

She wears her sympathy like rhinestone eyes

We trade cheap promises behind the curtain seam

Kiss me where the lights go cold, kiss me while we scream

High wire hearts, we wobble, we bend

You clap for the moment then you cut the friend

Leather boots, stained confetti on the floor

We're clowns with quiet guns, but we still want more

Pre-chorus

And when the music stops, who keeps the beat? (who keeps it?)

We grin until the fissures show, we take our seats (take a seat)

Round and round the carousel, a sugar-sick retreat

I love you then I hate you — honey, isn't that sweet?

Chorus

Love, hate and endless nightmares in a circus of freak

Love, hate and endless nightmares in a circus of freak

Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh (oh-oh)

Love, hate and endless nightmares in a circus of freak

Verse

You write our names in lipstick on a mirror of cracked glass

I read it backwards like a curse that always lasts

There’s a tightrope between 'please stay' and 'get out' tonight

I tug, you fall, we clap like it's a perfect plight

Carnival bones rattling in a crackerjack chest

We gamble on forgiveness, never on the rest

Fire-breather lungs and a lullaby that stings

You belt the final chorus as the carousel bell rings

Pre-chorus

The ringmaster smiles with a map of knife marks (smile, smile)

We swallow every miracle and spit out parts (spit out)

A thousand faces lined like cards we cannot keep

We deal them, hide them, fold them — laugh while we weep

Chorus

Love, hate and endless nightmares in a circus of freak

Love, hate and endless nightmares in a circus of freak

Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh (oh-oh)

Love, hate and endless nightmares in a circus of freak

Bridge

(ha-ha) tambourine suicide, clap, clap, lace it thin

(na-na) whisper of a rope, a swing that won't begin

(heyi ya) paint my name in gold, then smear it in the rain

(heyi ya) call me yours, call me less, call me anything

Chorus

Love, hate and endless nightmares in a circus of freak

Love, hate and endless nightmares in a circus of freak

Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh (oh-oh)

Love, hate and endless nightmares in a circus of freak

Outro

Come closer, come closer, come closer (come on)

We’ll sing until the tent goes silent — oh-oh

Love, hate and endless nightmares in a circus of freak

(la-la, la-la) love, hate, love, hate — in a circus of freak