John Mellencamp

County Fair

John Mellencamp


Well the County Fair 
Left quite a mess
In the county yard
Kids with eyes 
As big as dollars
Rode all the rides
Strip artists 
And con artists
Put on quite a show
And made some money
Then left town
Where they went 
I don't know

Hey all you suckers
I heard a fat woman say
Come on in for fifty cents
You can stay in here all day
So I took a chance
I went inside
Wasn't much there to see
So I asked her 
For my money back
And she just smiled at me

Saw Princess Tonyika 
Taken off all her clothes
Rode some rides 
And played some games
Saw the Wild Man from Barneo
There was a black man 
Playing the blues
Talked to some friends 
I hadn't seen in a while
Through a football 
Through a hoop

Well I saw 
Them loading up their trucks
Taking down the rides
Folding up all the tents
There's a full moon in the sky
Some were laughing 
Some were cussing
As they worked
Saw one of them making love
To a local girl

I was minding 
My own business
It was quarter after two
When a fella walked up 
And said
Hey man
I remember you
And then he shoved me
And pulled out his knife
Stuck me three times 
In the chest
And I died that night

For the like of me 
I can't remember
Who he was
And why he'd put 
A knife in me
In the dusty parking lot
Everybody said
What a shame it was
But he knew better 
Than staying out
Past twelve o'clock

Some people put no value
On a human life
And there are places we all go
That just ain't safe at night
If somebody would do this to me
They just might do it to you
So be careful where you go
And what you say or do

Well the County Fair 
Left quite a mess
In the county yard