Desolation Row

Capo 4th Fret 
Intro: 
 
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They‘re selling[C] postcards[F] of the[C] hanging 
They‘re[F] painting the passports[C] brown 
The [G]beauty parlor is filled with sailors 
[F]The circus is in[C] town 
[C]Here comes the blind commissioner 
They‘ve[F] got him in a[C] trance 
One[G] hand is tied to the tight-rope walker 
[F]The other is in his[C] pants 
And the[F] riot squad they‘re restless 
They[C] need somewhere to[F] go 
As[C] Lady and I look[G] out tonight 
From[F] Desolation[C] Row 
 
Cinde[C]rella,[F] she seems so[C] easy 
"It[F] takes one to know one," she[C] smiles 
And[G] puts her hands in her back pockets 
[F]Bette Davis style[C] 
And[C] in comes Romeo, he‘s moaning 
"You Be[F]long to Me I Be[C]lieve" 
And [G]someone says," You‘re in the wrong place, my friend 
[F]You better[C] leave" 
And the[F] only sound that‘s left 
[C]After the ambulances[F] go 
Is [C]Cinderella[G] sweeping up 
On[F] Desolation[C] Row 
 
Now the[C] moon is[F] almost[C] hidden 
The[F] stars are beginning to[C] hide 
The[G] fortunetelling lady 
Has even[F] taken all her things in[C]side 
All ex[C]cept for Cain and Abel 
And the[F] hunchback of Notre[C] Dame 
[G]Everybody is making love 
Or[F] else expecting[C]rain 
And the[F] Good Samaritan, he‘s dressing 
He‘s getting[C] ready for the [F]show 
He‘s[C] going to the[G] carnival tonight 
On[F] Desolation[C] Row 
 
Now O[C]phelia,[F] she‘s ‘neath the[C] window 
For[F]her I feel so af[C]raid 
On her[G] twenty-second birthday 
She al[C]ready is an old[F]maid 
To[C] her, death is quite romantic 
She[F] wears an iron[C] vest 
Her pro[G]fession‘s her religion 
Her[F] sin is her lifeless[C]ness 
And [F]though her eyes are fixed upon 
[C]Noah‘s great rain[F]bow 
She[C] spends her time[G] peeking 
Into[F] Desolation[C] Row 
 
[C]Einstein,[F] disguised as[C] Robin Hood 
With his[F] memories in a[C] trunk 
[G]Passed this way an hour ago 
With his[F] friend, a jealous[C] monk 
He[C] looked so immaculately frightful 
As he[F] bummed a cigar[C]ette 
Then he[G] went off sniffing drainpipes 
And re[F]citing the alpha[C]bet 
Now[F] you would not think to look at him 
But he was[C] famous long a[F]go 
For[C] playing the electric[G] violin 
On[F] Desolation[C] Row 
 
Dr.[C] Filth,[F] he keeps his[C] world 
In[F]side of a leather[C] cup 
But[G] all his sexless patients 
They‘re[F] trying to blow it[C] up 
Now his[C] nurse, some local loser 
She‘s in[F] charge of the cyanide[C] hole 
And sh[G] also keeps the cards that read 
"Have[F] Mercy on His[C] Soul" 
[F]They all play on penny whistles 
[C]You can hear them[F] blow 
If you[C] lean your head out[G] far enough 
From[F] Desolation[C] Row 
 
Across the[C] street they‘ve[F] nailed the[C] curtains 
They‘re getting[F] ready for the[C] feast 
The [G]Phantom of the Opera 
A [F]perfect image of a[C]priest 
They‘re[C] spoonfeeding Casanova 
To[F] get him to feel more as[C]sured 
Then they‘ll[G] kill him with self-confidence 
After [F]poisoning him with[C] words 
And the[F] Phantom‘s shouting to skinny girls 
"Get[C] Outa Here If You Don‘t[F] Know 
Casa[C]nova is just being[G] punished for going 
To[F] Desolation[C] Row" 
 
Now at[C] midnight[F] all the[C] agents 
And the [F]superhuman[C] crew 
Come[G] out and round up everyone 
That[F] knows more than they[F] do 
Then they[C] bring them to the factory 
Where the[F] heart-attack mac[C]hine 
Is[G] strapped across their shoulders 
And[F] then the kero[C]sene 
Is[F] brought down from the castles 
By in[C]surance men who[F] go 
Check to[C] see that nobody is es[G]caping 
To[F] Desolation[C] Row 
 
[C]Praise be to[F] Nero‘s[C] Neptune 
The Ti[F]tanic sails at[C] dawn 
And[G] everybody‘s shouting out 
"[F]Which Side Are You[C] On?" 
And[C] Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot 
[F]Fighting in the captain‘[C] tower 
While cal[G]ypso singers laugh at them 
And[F]fishermen hold[C] flowers 
Be[F]tween the windows of the sea 
Where[C] lovely mermaids[F] flow 
And[C] nobody has to[G] think too much 
About [F]Desolation[C] Row 
 
Yes, I re[C]ceived your[F] letter [C]yesterday 
About the[F] time the door knob[C] broke 
When you[G] asked how I was doing 
Was [F]that some kind of[C]joke? 
All these[C] people that you mention 
Yes, I[F] know them, they‘re quite[C] lame 
I had to[G] rearrange their faces 
And give them[F] all another[C]name 
[F]Right now I can‘t read too good 
Don‘t[C] send me no more letters[F] no 
[C]Not unless you[G] mail them 
From [F]Desolation[C]Row