They're selling postcards of the hanging
They're painting the passports brown
The beauty parlor is filled with sailors
The circus is in town
Here comes the blind commissioner
They've got him in a trance
One hand is tied to the tight-rope walker
The other is in his pants
And the riot squad, they're restless
They need somewhere to go
As Lady and I look out tonight
From Desolation Row
Cinderella, she seems so easy
"Well, it takes one to know one," she smiles,
And puts her hands in her back pockets
Bette Davis style
And in comes Romeo, moaning
"You belong to me, I believe"
And someone says
"You're in the wrong place, my friend,
You better leave"
And the only sound that's left
After the ambulances go
Is Cinderella sweeping up
On Desolation Row
Now at midnight, all the agents
And the superhuman crew
Come out and round up everyone
That knows more than they do
Then they bring them to the factory
Where the heart-attack machine
Is strapped across their shoulders
And then the kerosene
Is brought down from the castles
By insurance men who go
Check to see that nobody is escaping
To Desolation Row
Right now I can't read too good
Don't send me no more letters no
Not unless you mail them
From Desolation Row
Those are the lyrics used. Everything else is from the Bob Dylan 11-minute version.
They're selling postcards of the hanging They're painting the passports brown The beauty parlor is filled with sailors The circus is in town Here comes the blind commissioner They've got him in a trance One hand is tied to the tight-rope walker The other is in his pants And the riot squad, they're restless They need somewhere to go As Lady and I look out tonight From Desolation Row
Cinderella, she seems so easy "Well, it takes one to know one," she smiles, And puts her hands in her back pockets Bette Davis style And in comes Romeo, moaning "You belong to me, I believe" And someone says "You're in the wrong place, my friend, You better leave" And the only sound that's left After the ambulances go Is Cinderella sweeping up On Desolation Row
Now at midnight, all the agents And the superhuman crew Come out and round up everyone That knows more than they do Then they bring them to the factory Where the heart-attack machine Is strapped across their shoulders And then the kerosene Is brought down from the castles By insurance men who go Check to see that nobody is escaping To Desolation Row
Right now I can't read too good Don't send me no more letters no Not unless you mail them From Desolation Row
Those are the lyrics used. Everything else is from the Bob Dylan 11-minute version.