From listening to David Essig's later recording on the double "A Stone in My Pocket" cd, here's what I got. Maybe David can come on the thread and correct any errors.


intro
D    G(9)    D    G(9)    D

verse

D                   F#m         Bm               A
Fat boy plays the guitar in the back of his old trailer
D          F#m                A
For the flipper man and the little flipper girl
          G                A               D                  Bm
And he stares across the vacant lot as he sings Hank Williams lonesom
         Em          E7                  A
Draws a curtain tied around his sideshow world
D                            F#M                  Bm               A
And the flipper man says he smokes to much as he lights another camel
         D             F#m                A
At the mention of his wife he shakes his head
          G               A                      D         Bm
She could never take the circus life she couldn't stand the travel
         Em               E7          A
And he tries to get his little girl to bed.

      A               G                   D               Bm
And Shorty JOnes the wheelchair clown and assistant chief mechanic
      A          G                      D
He's lying fast asleep in the light and gear
    A                      G                     D          Bm
He lost his legs when his ship went down in the frozen North Atlantic
G                      E7               A
And he put an end to a major league career.


CHORUS
    A               G               D       F#m      Bm
So get your tickets early grab the kids and come on down
         A            G          D
To the carnival, the circus is in town
            A                     G               D    F#m      Bm
They'll be spills and thrills for children of all ages young and old.
G                      F#               A
For the people in the carnival it's just another day on the road.



Now the motorcycle spill rider got a steel plate in his head

And a kid who flew a chopper in the war.

Now his son's an unknown soldier in a picture by the bed

As his Daddy drives the wall of death once more

And the stripper she says she don't know where the circus life will take her.

Ah the constant bump and grind drives her insane.

She said she's gonna chuck it all someday and become an undertaker

And buy a house in the sunny South of Spain.


chorus

Now old BOb the midway barker he slumps down at the table

He said he's heard this song about how life's a carnival

And it makes him laugh that people think the circus life is special

It's just another job he said, that's all.

chorus.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VezQ0OImSk