[Intro]
Pop goes the
Pop goes the
Pop goes the
(neck)
Big shoes
Red stain on the tile
Painted grin
Haven’t blinked in a while
[Verse 1]
Early show
Kids’ menu, cheap cake
I was doing balloon dogs
Y’all were doing me fake
You laughed at the sweat
Pulled the wig off my head
Now the punchline’s different
And the punchline’s red
Found my face in the mirror
Cracked glass, cracked skull
One joke too many
Now the circus is full
You wanna heckle the broken?
You wanna poke at the freak?
I learned to juggle my rage
And throw a knife every week (ha-ha-ha)
[Chorus]
Welcome to the big top
I paint the floor with laughter
Every scream a rimshot
Every cut a chapter
You wanted jokes, I got ‘em
I’m your midnight actor
Crowd goes hush when I
Paint the floor with laughter (ha)
[Verse 2]
Cotton candy on the curb
That’s your lungs on the air
Face pressed into the tickets
You ain’t going nowhere
Dragged you under the bleachers
Past gum, rust, stains
Turn your smile to a smear
Fingerpainting your veins
You say, “It’s just a prank”
I say, “It’s just a bit”
Audience participation
Tilt your head, commit
I used to twist balloon swords
Now I twist your words
Make you beg for the exit
Like you bought it reserved (yeah)
[Chorus]
Welcome to the big top
I paint the floor with laughter
Every scream a rimshot
Every cut a chapter
You wanted jokes, I got ‘em
I’m your midnight actor
Crowd goes hush when I
Paint the floor with laughter (laugh with me)
[Verse 3]
Striped tent, striped shirt
Striped tape by the van
You thought I was hired help
I’m the whole damn plan
My car’s too small
For the bodies I stack
So I fold you like napkins
In the trunk out back
Face paint flaking
Still smiling too wide
I tattoo your last words
On the inside of your hide
Stage lights buzzing
As you choke on the fog
Should’ve tipped me better
When I danced like a dog (who’s laughing now?)
[Verse 4]
Spotlight swings
Like a pendulum blade
Every cheer, every jeer
Every debt I’m paid
Ringmaster’s whistle
Rust on his teeth
He sold me for pennies
Now he rots underneath
I stitched his coat to my back
Wear his hat on my crown
Master of ceremonies
Of this forgotten town
The ferris wheel creaks
Each seat, a grave
If the ride stops sudden
You’ll remember my name (say it)
[Chorus]
Welcome to the big top
I paint the floor with laughter
Every scream a rimshot
Every cut a chapter
You wanted jokes, I got ‘em
I’m your midnight actor
Crowd goes hush when I
Paint the floor with laughter
[Verse 5]
Face in the flyers
“Have you seen this clown?”
Stapled on lampposts
Dripping back down
Parents clutch tickets
Kids clutch toys
I clutch necks
Silence the noise
You clap on command
You laugh when I twitch
But the last act hits harder
When I flip that switch
House lights dead
Just my giggle in black
You’ll leave in a box
With a smile I crack (ha-ha-ha)
[Chorus]
Welcome to the big top
I paint the floor with laughter
Every scream a rimshot
Every cut a chapter
You wanted jokes, I got ‘em
I’m your midnight actor
Crowd goes hush when I
Paint the floor with laughter
[Outro]
[whispered] Pop goes the
Pop goes the
Pop goes the show
(laugh with me)