Standard (EADGBE)

Intro

 Well in nineteen-forty one a happy father had a son

 And by nineteen-forty four the father walks right out the door

 And in forty five the mom and son were still alive

 But who could tell in forty six if the two were to survive

 Well the years were passing quickly, but not fast enough for him

 So he closed his eyes through fifty five, then he opened them up again

 Then he looked around he saw a clown and the clown seemed very gay

 And he set that night to join that circus clown and run away

Well he followed every railroad track and every highway sign

And he had a girl in each new town and the towns he left behind

And the open road was the only road he knew

But the color of his dreams was slowly turning into blue

Then he met a girl, the kind of girl he wanted all his life

She was soft and kind and good to him, so he took her for a wife

And they got a house not far from town and in a little while

The girl had seen the doctor and she came home with a smile

Now in nineteen-sixty one a happy father had a son

And by nineteen-sixty four the father walked right out the door

And in sixty five the mom and son were still around

But what will happen to the boy when the circus comes to town