THE LAST CARNIVAL

Album version

Sundown, sundown
They're taking all the tents down
Where have you gone my handsome Billy?

Sundown, sundown
The carnival train's leaving town
Where are you now darling Billy?

We won't be dancing together on the high wire
Facing the lions with you at my side anymore
We won't be breathin' the smoke and the fire
On a midway

Hanging from the trapeze
My wrists waiting for your wrists
Two daredevils high up on the wall of death
You throwin' the knife that lands inches from my heart
Sundown

Moonrise, moonrise
The light that was in your eyes has gone away
Daybreak, daybreak
The thing in you that made me ache has gone to stay

We'll be riding the train without you tonight
The train that keeps on movin'
Its black smoke scorching the evening sky
A millions stars shining above us like every soul livin' and dead
Has been gathered together by a God to sing a hymn over your bones

Sun down, sun down
Empty are the fairgrounds
Where are you now handsome Billy?

Page last updated: 18 Jan 2009

Intro

Music and lyrics by Bruce Springsteen, THE LAST CARNIVAL is from Bruce Springsteen's 2009 album Working On A Dream.

The track duration is 3:24. The first (partial) preview of the song was on 15 Dec 2008 when 30-second samples of the album tracks were published on Amazon.co.uk.

Composition and Recording

Springsteen wrote THE LAST CARNIVAL as a tribute to E Street Band keyboardist Danny Federici who died on 17 Apr 2008. Springsteen brought the song into studio in the fall of 2008 during the mixing stages for the Working On A Dream album. Federici's son, Jason, plays accordion on THE LAST CARNIVAL.

Working On A Dream

Working On A Dream is Springsteen's 24th album (and 16th studio album). It was released on 27 Jan 2009 on Columbia Records. The album was officially announced, along with its track listing, on 17 Nov 2008. The album is produced by Brendan O'Brien and was recorded with the E Street Band during breaks on their 2007-2008 Magic Tour. It was recorded and mixed at Southern Tracks in Atlanta, GA with additional recording in New York City, Los Angeles, and New Jersey.

Springsteen said about the album, "Towards the end of recording 'Magic,' excited by the return to pop production sounds, I continued writing. When my friend producer Brendan O'Brien heard the new songs, he said, 'Let's keep going.' Over the course of the next year, that's just what we did, recording with the E Street Band during the breaks on last year's tour. I hope 'Working on a Dream' has caught the energy of the band fresh off the road from some of the most exciting shows we've ever done. All the songs were written quickly, we usually used one of our first few takes, and we all had a blast making this one from beginning to end."

The album features 12 new Springsteen compositions plus a bonus track and clocks at 51:08.

Track list:

1. OUTLAW PETE
2. MY LUCKY DAY
3. WORKING ON A DREAM
4. QUEEN OF THE SUPERMARKET
5. WHAT LOVE CAN DO
6. THIS LIFE
7. GOOD EYE
8. TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS
9. LIFE ITSELF
10. KINGDOM OF DAYS
11. SURPRISE SURPRISE
12. THE LAST CARNIVAL

Bonus track:

13. THE WRESTLER

A deluxe edition of Working On A Dream features a bonus DVD that contains a 38-minute behind-the-scenes footage of the recording of the album. Produced, directed, and edited by Thom Zimny, it includes studio footage edited to the tracks of MY LUCKY DAY, QUEEN OF THE SUPERMARKET, KINGDOM OF DAYS, WORKING ON A DREAM, LIFE ITSELF, and THE LAST CARNIVAL. It also contains demos and early band versions of the songs as they were worked up. The DVD also includes video for A NIGHT WITH THE JERSEY DEVIL.

The album was also available as a vinyl record.

Credits

Thanks John Eick, Antonio Lacalamita, Randy, and Neil (Five Stubbs) for the help.