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

"It takes one to know one," she smiles

And puts her hands in her back pockets

Bette Davis style and in comes Romeo, he's 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 the moon is almost hidden the stars are beginning to hide

the fortune telling lady Has even taken all her things inside

All except for Cain and Abel and the hunchback of Notre Dame

Everybody is making love or else expecting rain

And the Good Samaritan, he's dressing he's getting ready for the show

He's going to the carnival tonight

On Desolation Row



Now Ophelia, she's neath the window for her I feel so afraid

On her twenty-second birthday she already is an old maid

To her, death is quite romantic she wears an iron vest

Her profession's her religion her sin is her lifelessness

And though her eyes are fixed upon Noah's great rainbow

She spend her time peeking

Into Desolation Row



Einstein disguised as Robin Hood with his memories in a trunk

Passed this way an hour ago with his friend, a jealous monk

He looked so immaculately frightful as he bummed a cigarette

As he went off sniffing drainpipes and reciting the alphabet

Now you would not think to look at him but he was famous long ago

For playing the electric violin

On Desolation Row



Dr. Filth, he keeps his world inside of a leather cup

But all his sexless patients they're trying to blow it up

Now his nurse, some local loser she's in charge of the cyanide hole

And she also keeps the cards that read "Have Mercy on His Soul"

They all play on the penny whistles you can hear then blow

If you lean your head out far enough

From Desolation Row