The transient minister piously drifted through town
and his sermons began the moment his bedroll hit the ground
The carnival children rejoiced at the stories he told
They came as parishioners religious and marked by the cold
These long-fasting orphans sat smiling around him and played
their jury-rigged instruments over the stories he sang
Then they'd hang on the carousel praising the Lord for their luck
and they'd clap out the rhythm and dance in bare feet in the dust
Then his voice would rise, straining above the sweet, chaotic sound
and an angelic chorus would lift them up off of the ground
They were blessed for their faithfulness before all the poisonous beasts on earth
Hallelujah
Hallelujah