Text: John Mellencamp. Life, Death, Love and Freedo. County Fair.

Well, the county fair left quite a mess in the county yard
Kids with eyes as big as dollars rode all the rides
Strip artists and con artists put on quite a show
And made some money then left town
Where they went I don?t know?

Hey, all you suckers I heard a fat woman say
Come on in for fifty cents, you can stay in here all day
So I took a chance, I went inside
Wasn?t much there to see
So I ask her for my money back and she just smiled at me

Saw Princess Tonyika taken off all her clothes
Rode some rides and played some games
Saw the Wild Man from Barneo
There was a black man playing the blues
Talked to some friends hadn?t seen in a while
Threw a football through a hoop

Well, I saw them loading up their trucks, taking down the rides
Folding up all the tents, there?s a full moon in the sky
Some were laughing some were cussing as they worked
Saw one of them making love to a local girl

I was minding my own business, it was quarter after two
When a fella walked up and said hey man, I remember you
And then he shoved me and pulled out his knife
Stuck me three times in the chest and I died that night

For the like of me I can?t remember who he was
And why he?d put a knife in me in that dusty parking lot
Everybody said what a shame it was
But he knew better than staying out past twelve o?clock

Some people put no value on a human life
And there are places we all go that just ain?t safe at night
If somebody do this to me they might do it to you
So be careful where you go and what you say or do

Oh, the county fair left quite a mess in the county yard