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