Intro -x3-: E Esus4 Verse 1: E Esus4 E They're selling postcards of the hanging A E They're painting the passports brown B The beauty parlor is filled with sailors A E The circus is in town Here comes the blind commissioner A E They've got him in a trance B One hand is tied to the tightrope walker A E The other is in his pants A And the riot squad, they're restless E A They need somewhere to go E B As Lady and I look out tonight A E Esus4 E Esus4 From Desolation Row Verse 2: E Cinderella, she seems so easy A E "It takes one to know one," she smiles B And puts her hands in her back pockets A E Bette Davis style And in comes Romeo, he's moaning A E 'You Belong to Me, I Believe" B And someone says, "You're in the wrong place, my friend A E You'd better leave" A And the only sound that's left E A After the ambulances go E B Is Cinderella sweeping up A E Esus4 E Esus4 On Desolation Row Verse 3: E Esus4 E Now the moon is almost hidden A E The stars are beginning to hide B The fortunetelling lady A E Has even taken all her things inside All except for Cain and Abel A E And the hunchback of Notre Dame B Everybody is making love A E Or else expecting rain A And the Good Samaritan, he's dressing E A He's getting ready for the show E B He's going to the carnival tonight A E Esus4 E Esus4 On Desolation Row Verse 4: E Esus4 E Ophelia, she's 'neath the window A E For her I feel so afraid B On her twentysecond birthday A E She already is an old maid To her, death is quite romantic A E She wears an iron vest B Her profession's her religion A E Her sin is her lifelessness A And though her eyes are fixed upon E A Noah's great rainbow E B She spends her time peeking A E Esus4 E Esus4 Into Desolation Row Verse 5: E Esus4 E Einstein, disguised as Robin Hood A E With his memories in a trunk B Passed this way an hour ago A E With his friend, a jealous monk Now he looked so immaculately frightful A E As he bummed a cigarette B Then he went off sniffing drainpipes A E And reciting the alphabet A You would not think to look at him E A But he was famous long ago E B For playing the electric violin A E Esus4 E Esus4 On Desolation Row Verse 6: E Doctor Filth, he keeps his world A Inside of a leather cup E B But all his xxxless patients A They're trying to blow it up E Now his nurse, some local loser A E She's in charge of the cyanide hole B And she also keeps the cards that read A E "Have mercy on his soul" A They all play on the pennywhistle E A You can hear them blow E B If you lean your head out far enough A E Esus4 E Esus4 From Desolation Row Verse 7: E Esus4 E Across the street they've nailed the curtains A E They're getting ready for the feast B The Phantom of the Opera A E In a perfect image of a priest They are spoon feeding Casanova A E To get him to feel more assured B Then they'll kill him with selfconfidence A After poisoning him with words E A And the Phantom's shouting to skinny girls E A "Get outta here if you don't know E B Casanova is just being punished for going A E Esus4 E Esus4 To Desolation Row" Verse 8: E Esus4 E At midnight all the agents A E And the superhuman crew B Come out and round up everyone A E That knows more than they do Then they bring them to the factory A Where the heart attack machine E B Is strapped across their shoulders A E And then the kerosene A Is brought down from the castles E A By insurance men who go E B Check to see that nobody is escaping A E Esus4 To Desolation Row Verse 9: E Esus4 E Praise be to Nero's Neptune A E The Titanic sails at dawn B Everybody's shouting A E "Which side are you on?" And Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot A E Fighting in the captain's tower B While calypso singers laugh at them A E And fishermen hold flowers A Between the windows of the sea E A Where lovely mermaids flow E B And nobody has to think too much A E Esus4 About Desolation Row Solo: E Esus4 E A E B A E A E B A E A E A E B A E Esus4 Verse 10: E Esus4 E Yes, I received your letter yesterday A E About the time the doorknob broke B When you asked me how I was doing A E Was that some kinda joke? All these people that you mention A E Yes, I know them, they're quite lame B I had to rearrange their faces A And give them all another name E A Right now, I can't read too good E A Don't send me no more letters, no E B Not unless you mail them A E Esus4 From Desolation Row Outro: E Esus4 E Esus4 A E B A E A E B A E A E A E B A E
