The Final Joke

<intro>
One spotlight, one stage, one breath,  
Hee-hee-hee... *<laugh>*  
Tonight, I play my death.  
Ha-ha-ha-ha! *<laugh>*  
The curtains fall, the crowd’s long gone,  
But I keep laughing — the show goes on.  

<verse 1>
My painted smile begins to crack,  
I see the mirror staring back.  
Hee-hee-hee! *<laugh>*  
The ghost of me takes center stage,  
Reading lines I never wrote on this page.  
Ha-ha-ha-ha! *<laugh>*  
The drums are hearts that never stop,  
The spotlight hums — then drops.  

<prechorus 1>
Every joke I ever told,  
Turns to dust, turns to gold.  
Hee-hee! *<laugh>*  
And still, I laugh, because it’s mine —  
This broken show, this twisted line.  

<chorus 1>
The final joke — it’s me, you see,  
Ha-ha-ha-ha! *<laugh>*  
The punchline’s carved in memory.  
Applause or screams, it’s all the same,  
The laughter burns, it speaks my name.  

<verse 2>
The tent is hollow, the floors all creak,  
The walls remember all I speak.  
Hee-hee-hee! *<laugh>*  
I juggle shadows, toss the night,  
The audience is gone — out of sight.  
Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! *<laugh>*  
Every corner hums a ghostly cheer,  
Every laugh feeds what I fear.  

<prechorus 2>
The moonlight bends, the stars all cry,  
The joke persists though I might die.  
Ha-ha-ha! *<laugh>*  
I bow, I stumble, I fall, I spin,  
The clown inside cannot rescind.  

<chorus 2>
The final joke — it’s me, you see,  
Ha-ha-ha-ha! *<laugh>*  
The punchline’s carved in memory.  
The carousel moans, the Ferris wheel screams,  
I live forever inside my dreams.  

<bridge>
(whispered, overlapping)  
The joke’s on me — it always was.  
The painted grin, the hollow applause.  
Hee-hee-hee-ha! *<laugh>*  
Every act collapses into night,  
Every laugh becomes my light.  
Ha-ha-ha-ha! *<laugh>*  

<breakdown 1>
Static hums, the lights all fade,  
The music slows — the debt is paid.  
Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! *<laugh>*  
Mirrors crack, the tent dissolves,  
I twist inside these unsolved resolves.  
Hee-hee-hee! *<laugh>*  

<breakdown 2>
Voices echo, whispering my name,  
Every ghost is part of my game.  
Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! *<laugh>*  
Candles gutter, shadows sway,  
The final joke has come to play.  

<chorus 3>
The final joke — it’s me, you see,  
Ha-ha-ha-ha! *<laugh>*  
The punchline’s carved in memory.  
Applause or screams, it’s all the same,  
The laughter burns, it speaks my name.  

<verse 3>
I reach for air but only touch,  
The fabric of this haunted clutch.  
Hee-hee-hee! *<laugh>*  
The audience fades but I remain,  
A clown’s last breath inside the pain.  
Ha-ha-ha-ha! *<laugh>*  
Every smile a shadowed spark,  
Every laugh a mark in dark.  

<outro>
The night folds shut, the stars all hide,  
Hee-hee-hee! 
I’m still here — just on the other side.  
Ha-ha-ha-ha... 
The tent folds down, the stars ignite,  
And somewhere distant...  
He still laughs... through the night.  
Hee-hee-hee-ha-ha-ha!

Grand, tragic, surreal
Dark theatrical rock • Horror pop • Spoken word interludes
Giggles creepy evil dark