This Splendid Tragedy

Bring forth all the jesters, curiosities and clowns
To dance around the bonfire of this world now burning down
Smash all the stained glass windows so that everyone may see
The raging funeral pyre of this splendid tragedy
Tear down the hallowed places to feed the hungry flames
Because in the smoke and fire everything's the same
And hearken to the Devil at his red calliope
Announcing the final show of this splendid tragedy
Bring forth all that's blasphemous, forbidden and unclean
The pigments of our dark thoughts and desires that we dream
And paint a scene from Dante with its anguish and disease
As a backdrop for the side show in this splendid tragedy
We are puppets in a passion play with anguish come of age
Bleeding out our lines upon this burning stage
A tableau of perversions that we all have come to be
In a feast of last distractions called this splendid tragedy
Bring forth all the angels of the slaughterhouse
And ring the Bell of Bones till all of them are roused
Then let them walk the midway and let them ride for free
On the murder roller-coaster of this splendid tragedy
And when the show is over and the carnival has left
The wind spinning its ghosts with the ashes cast by death
It will all be gone but for the bright marquee
That will mark the final resting place of this splendid tragedy