Lyrics

Greatest Show on Earth
Whit Hill 2002

Tiny walked the tightrope every night from 8 to 9 o?clock
Tillie was the girl who sold the sodapop under the big top
Tiny like to watch her from his perch, a hundred feet up.
She would steal a glance or two, I will not lie to you about it.

Mr. Tanner was the man who ran the cotton candy machine
He and Tillie worked so hard, he like to think they were a team.
Wanda walked the wire with Tiny in the spotlight every night
And she would whisper to her sister that she wished to be his wife.

Step right up, step right up and see?
Come one, come all, I?ll let you in free.
To the greatest show on earth.

Tiny first made love to Tillie behind the lion?s cage
It was perfect, it was passion, it was free-fall, it was rage.
Tanner watched them from the clown car and his eyes they filled with tears
Wanda she came up behind him, she said I know how you feel.

Tanner said I?d best forget her, she said I don?t think you can
We are in this thing together, don?t despair, I have a plan.
And that very night at midnight, underneath a waning moon
All the elephants saw Wanda sneaking out of Tillie?s room.

Step right up?

That?s how a ribbon and pearl
A gift from Tiny to his girl
Found their way into the hands of Ramon, the strongest man
With a note of poetry, signed with just the letter T.
The carousel went around and around and around.

Close your eyes, it?s five years later. Now you can open them.
Tillie Tanner tells her husband they are out of ice again.
Tiny walks the wire with Wanda in the spotlight and at home
But he no longer thinks of Tillie. His heart has turned to stone.

Step right up?.