Fare Thee Well Miss Carousel
Townes Van Zandt Lyrics

The drunken clown's still hanging round
The foolish jester is still around

But it plain the laughter's all died down
But the joy has all faded away

The tears you tried so hard to hide Are flowin'
The tears you tried to hold back are now falling

A blind man with his knife in hand Has convinced himself that he understands I wish him well, Miss Carousel But I gotta be a-goin'
A blind man with a weapon thinks he knows everything. I hope he does well, Miss Carousel, but I have to leave.

Won't you come and get me when You're sure that you don't need me then I stand outside your window And proudly call your name
When you're certain you don't require my help, please come and fetch me. I will stand outside your window and loudly call your name with pride.

The ladies been told that all of gold Is worth so much it can't be sold No time to weep she'll need her sleep Tomorrow When she carries her face to the market place And bets it on the opening race She can ring her bells, Miss Carousel But her singing brings me sorrow
Women have been told that gold is so valuable it cannot be sold. But she will need sleep to recover from sadness tomorrow when she puts on a facade and gambles on love. While she may joyfully celebrate, Miss Carousel, her singing brings me pain.

It's always done every mother's son Is shown that grown men never run And so they fight with all the might Inside them When the battle's been fought and they all been taught That the trick is just not being caught Will you give them hell, Miss Carousel When they're begging you to hide them
It is typical for a mother's son to be taught that grown men never run away, so they fight with all their might. When the conflict has ended, and they have learned that the trick is not being caught, will Miss Carousel make them pay when they plead for protection?

When the need arose your eyes fell closed You clamped your fingers round your nose Would you say that's any way To judge him You haven't got the authority To kill him in the first degree But would you feel compelled, Miss Carousel If you have something to begrudge him
When the necessity emerged, you closed your eyes and held your breath. Would you say that's appropriate to judge him? You do not have permission to execute him for the worst crime. But would you feel compelled, Miss Carousel, if you bear a grudge against him?

On a velvet beach far beneath the reach Of those that come to pray and preach The natural man who tries to stand Is fallin How long will it be before he sees You own his legs but his mind is free Only you can tell, Miss Carousel How long will he be crawling?
On a luxurious beach that only a few can reach, the common man who seeks to maintain his status has fallen. Only you, Miss Carousel, know when he will stand, for he may appear free but is dependent on you.

The castle walls has grown so tall Seem there ain't no hope at all To reach the top even though you stop For breathin' But I ain't gonna try to make you cry The tear drops couldn't find your eye It's all been swell, Miss Carousel But the time has come for leavin'
The walls of the castle have become so high that there appears to be no hope of getting to the top, even when you pause to catch your breath. But I won't try to make you sad, you can't shed a tear. It has all been lovely, Miss Carousel, but it is now time for a farewell.