Desolation Row

They're selling postcards of the hanging

Where they're painting the passports brown

Yeah, the beauty parlor's filled with sailors

The circus is in town

Now but here comes the blind commissioner

Well, they got him in a trance

One hand is tied to the tight-rope walker

The other is in his pants

And the riot squad, they're restless

They need somewhere to go

As Lady and I look out tonight

From Desolation Row

Cinderella she seems so easy

"Well, it takes one to know one" she smiles

And puts her hands in her back pockets

Betty Davis style

Now but in comes Romeo moaning

"You belong to me I believe"

And someone says

"You're in the wrong place my friend

You better leave"

And the only sound that's left

After the ambulances goes

Is Cinderella sweeping up

On Desolation Row

Now at midnight all the agents

And the super-human crew

Go out and round up everyone

That knows more than they do

They gonna bring 'em to the factory

Where the heart-attack machine

Is strapped across their shoulders

And then the kerosene

Is brought down from the castles

By insurance men who go

Check to see that nobody is escaping

To Desolation Row

Right now I can't read too good

Don't send me no more letters no

Not unless you gotta mail them

From Desolation Row