Understudies

In the window of the storefront
 There's a mugshot for a manhunt
 And those cakes all decorated with cartoons
 Piñatas shaped like parrots
 Secrets leaking from the gas tanks
 In the back, while they were twisting up balloons
 The helium was noble
 And the nitrous was obnoxious
 And the neon lit the stage
 For the patrons in their boxes
 And the scarecrow stepped on set
 He stumbled then recovered
 Started on his steps then said, "Whatever"
 This is showbiz
 Hit the spotlight
 If you really want to dance then put your shoes on
 And the diamond
 In his tie pin
 Was blinking like an isolated neutron
 He said it's perfect when you're finally performing
 But all this waiting around just gets so boring
 When the show is over
 Then people in theater
 Stand up and start to clap
 Try to take this whole thing back
 But the night is just beginning
 For the actor and the gaffer
 He's taking off his makeup
 And they meet up by the back door
 In the alley there's a taxi
 When they get in, it starts moving
 And the driver gets a feeling
 That he knows just where they're going
 And it's quiet and he listens
 To the actor and the gaffer
 Discuss the things they're getting
 And where they're going after
 And if 4:00 a.m.'s the night time or the morning?
 It's hard to get to sleep after performing
 When a star is born, the habit begins forming
 It's hard to get to sleep after performing
 The adrenaline it kicks in
 When the stagehand hits the curtain
 It's exciting when you're working
 You get to be a different person
 But later when it's over
 And they're sweeping up the lobby
 And you're still on that wavelength
 And it's sometimes hard to shake it
 The bakery is a business
 That's pretty unsuspecting
 They're busy on the third shift
 And the doors are always open
 The actor and the gaffer
 They enter through the kitchen
 When the baker sees them coming
 He starts taking off his apron
 Now it's showtime
 Hit the spotlights
 But the gaffer never turned up
 And his phone's been dead since last night
 Now it's showtime (now it's showtime)
 Cue the dancers (cue the dancers)
 The director phones the actor
 But the actor doesn't answer
 Call the back up (call the back up)
 Get the new guy (get the new guy)
 They're pacing around backstage
 Trying to brush up on their lines
 The understudy (the understudy)
 Plays the savior (plays the savior)
 Comes in and does the part
 Without the dangerous behavior
 But when a star is born the habit begins forming
 It's hard to get to sleep after performing
 Is 4:00 a.m. the night time or the morning?
 It's hard to get to sleep after performing