[Verse 1]
Cobweb gardens by the stairway
Silent figures hold forgotten signs
Mirror pieces on the hallway
Lines receding from our wandering minds

[Pre-Chorus]
Paper lanterns flicker, almost gone
Twisting truths beneath the powdered skin
Promises like empty rose bouquets
Who remembers where they’ve been?

[Chorus]
Crawling under carnival spires
Children laughing at the masks we wear
Spinning circles in the wire
Are we really ever there?

[Post-Chorus]
Oh la la, la la la
Oh la la, la la la

[Verse 2]
Clocks with faces made of paper
Actors hiding in the greasepaint sun
Caught in games, we chase the vapour
Can you tell me when it all begun?

[Pre-Chorus]
Balloons tangled on the old parade
Footsteps vanish down the wishing lane
Shadows bending, everything’s parade
Will it ever feel the same?

[Chorus]
Crawling under carnival spires
Children laughing at the masks we wear
Spinning circles in the wire
Are we really ever there?

[Post-Chorus]
Oh la la, la la la
Oh la la, la la la

[Bridge]
Cracked lanterns on the railing
Marionettes with tired, glassy eyes
Rusty music box failing
Spirals lost above the tide

[Verse 3]
Painted horses faint in twilight
Questions written on a paper crown
Tiny jewels lost to midnight
Will the circle settle down?

[Pre-Chorus]
Drifting slow on velvet afternoons
Costumes gathered in the afterglow
Dreams undone beneath a silver moon
Do we linger, do we know?

[Chorus]
Crawling under carnival spires
Children laughing at the masks we wear
Spinning circles in the wire
Are we really ever there?

[Post-Chorus]
Oh la la, la la la
Oh la la, la la la
Oh la la, la la la
