E7         A7             D7         B7
Well in 1941 a happy father had a son
E7              A7            D7               B7
And by 1944 the father walked right out the door
E7         A7             D7         B7
And in '45 the mom and son were still alive
C7     C7     C7     C7     B7     B7     B7     B7
But who could tell in '46 if the two were to survive

[Verse 2]:
E7                         A7
Well the years were passing quickly
D7                      B7
But not fast enough for him
E7                        A7
So he closed his eyes through '55
D7                    B7
And he opened them up again
E7                       A7
When he looked around he saw a clown
D7                        B7
And the clown seemed very gay
C7     C7     C7     C7     B7     B7     B7     B7
And he set that night to join that circus clown and run away

[Scat solo 1]:
E7 A7 D7 B7 x 2
C7 C7 B7 B7 x 2
C7 C7 C7 C7 B7 B7 E7
A7 D7 B7

[Verse 3]:
E7                       A7
Well he followed every railroad track
D7                    B7
And every highway sign
E7                A7
And he had a girl in each new town
D7                        B7
And the towns he left behind
E7           A7
And the open road
D7                   B7
Was the only road he knew
C7      C7      C7      C7
But the color of his dreams
B7      B7      B7      B7
Were slowly turning into blue

[Verse 4]:
E7        E7        A7        A7
Then he met a girl the kind of girl
D7     D7     B7     B7
He'd wanted all his life
E7      E7       A7      A7
She was soft and kind and good to him
D7      D7       G       B7
So he took her for his wife
E7          B7          A7          A7
And they got a house not far from town
D7    D7    B7    B7
And in a little while
C7      C7      C7      C7
The girl had seen the doctor
B7       B7       B7        B7
And she came home with a child

[Verse 5]:
E7   E7   A7   A7   D7   D7   B7   B7
Now in 1961 a happy father had a son
E7     E7     A7     A7     D7     D7     B7     B7
And by 1964 the father walked right out the door
E7    E7    A7    A7    D7    D7    B7
And in '65 the mom and son were still around
C7
But what will happen to the boy
B7
When the circus comes to town?

[Scat solo 2]:
E7 A7 D7 B7 x 3
C7 B7
E7 A7 E