The narrator describes a romance that happened during a carnival. Her lover is gone. Maybe he or she or the narrator left town with the carnival, leaving the other behind. Now, the narrator longs for a reunion.
Fairy lights and muslin drapes
The eyes that see us are sleeping
Bottle of whiskey, bottle of wine
Both from which we are drinking
Dahlias in December, Chrysanthemums in June
In a town that can't remember
From dusk to dawn, my love was gone
Between the veil of dusk and light
The sweet and sorrowful hour
That separates morning and night
I roll you in the flowers
[Chorus]
Across the world I wonder
My moments made from years
On a still and silent midway
I wait for you to reappear
Carnival, lulling to sleep
No one can hear our voices
I can tell your future and past
By the light of the carousel horses
[Chorus]
Shovels & Rope released Carnival on Tue Jul 31 2012.