Strike the tent
Unpop the paintbox
And pack the carriages
With the flesh freaks of fear
At the beach we left them shell shocked
Lining up the avenue
In view of next year

High steppin' like a brigade
Down the block,
Don't be shocked
To hear somebody say Wake up, Doomsday!
It's time to join the big parade.
Come and march in time with the band
Playing loud, fighting crowds
To see the matinee (it's tailor made)
Because it's gonna be a brighter day.

For the seeker of thrills
Behind the ferris wheels
There's a man with one foot in the grave
And one foot on a banana peel
He's an actor of sorts
Who sold himself too short
So now he travels door to door
Performing The real Death of a Salesman

Oh my country, tears of thee
How the circus makes the world
Safe for anarchy
In a cage with an uneasy chair
Atop a merry go round
He wears that clown crown.

Can't you see that you can
Come as you are,
As you were
If you prefer you can change
(yes it can be arranged)
When you come and join the big parade.

But you can leave your baggage at home
Don't you pack
Don't look back
Then you can truly say
Goodbye highway
That what then and this is nowadays.

Come on you big shot, enjoy the rain
Take a class in pumping blood into
Those weathered veins
And I bet
You'd still come out as teacher's pet

(I scream, you scream )
Cause when it comes to being watertight
(you'll always be a plumber with a pipe dream)
You wrote that book, you own the copyright.
And clown costume
I saw it hanging in the closet of
Your elbow room.

Ooh come and join the big parade
Ooh it's gonna be a brighter day

If you've had it up to here with what's real
I'm here to tell you that it's no big deal
Because it's not too late
Oh, if you hurry up you can
Come on and join the big charade.
(Line up, shut up, clean up, and shave)
'Cause right behind you in the back of the fray
Is a blade, he's a renegade
Turning bullshit into marmalade
Don't you know there's gonna be
A heavy price to pay
(Line up, shut up, clean up,Don't you know)
For pushing all these clouds away
Oh promised it would be
It's bound to be a brighter day,
It can't help but be a brighter day.

Writer : STURMER, ANDY/MANNING, ROGER
Copyright : Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing