[00:22.00]And they fell from the skies with the greatest of ease
[00:26.99]And they landed on the ground under tents and trapeze
[00:31.86]And they were told that they fell with such beauty and grace
[00:37.16]That The Flying Wallendas would be the name on their case
[00:42.52]And the fine folks of Akron would forever be saying
[00:47.98]That they flew through the air like the wings of a prayer
[00:52.31]
[00:52.87]But they all walked away amidst the gawking and stares
[00:57.98]And the children revisited their fall in nightmares
[01:03.29]But they never would stop and they never surrendered
[01:08.53]And they lived like they died, The Flying Wallendas
[01:13.34]
[01:34.29]They could dance on the wire through the fire and the storm
[01:38.91]
[01:39.53]John Ringling had seen Karl in Cuba perform
[01:44.46]He raised up his kids for performance and stardom
[01:49.78]They performed center ring at Madison Square Garden
[01:55.24]With a seven man pyramid folks lined up just to see 'em
[02:00.25]Till they fell from the sky at Detroit's State Fair Coliseum
[02:05.99]
[02:26.36]And they fell to the ground with the greatest of ease
[02:31.50]Three didn't get up from the blood in the breeze
[02:36.33]But Karl wouldn't be stopped from his home in the skies
[02:41.46]Till he fell from the wire in San Juan and he died
[02:47.25]
[03:07.56]In Sarasota as a child my grandparents lived next door
[03:12.84]To the surviving Wallendas and their amazing wild stories
[03:18.08]I was stun and astounded that the old lady who was out
[03:22.82]
[03:23.38]Pruning her orange trees had flown to the heavens and back