They're selling postcards of the hanging Well they're painting the passports brown The beauty parlor is filled with sailors The circus is in town Now here comes the blind commissioner Well 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 she puts her hands in her back pockets Bette Davis style And now 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 midnight all the agents and superhuman crew Go and round up everyone that knows more than they do They gonna bring 'em 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 no one is escaping To Desolation Row 'Cuz right now I can't read too good Don't send me no letters no Not unless you gonna mail them From Desolation Row