WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY

Live 04 Dec 2001 version



The machinist climbs his Ferris wheel like a brave
And the fire eater's lyin' in a pool of sweat, victim of the heat wave
Behind the tent, the hired hand tightens his legs on the sword swallower's blade
And circus town's on the shortwave

Well, the runway lies ahead like a great false dawn
Fat Lady, Big Mama, Missy Bimbo sits in her chair and yawns
And the man-beast lies in his cage sniffing popcorn
And the midget licks his fingers, suffers Missy Bimbo's scorn
And circus town's been born

Whoa, and a press roll, drummer go, ballerina to-and-fro
Cartwheelin' up on the tightrope, yeah, with a cannon blast, lightin' flash
Movin' fast, through the tent, Mars bent, he's gonna miss his fall
Oh, God save the human cannonball
And the flying Zambinis watch Margarita do her neck twist
And the ringmaster gets the crowd to count along: "Ninety-five, ninety-six, ninety-seven"
Ragged suitcase in his hand, he steals silently away from the circus grounds
And the highway's haunted by those carnival sounds
Dance like a great greasepaint ghost on the wind
Man in baggy pants, lonely face, crazy grin
Runnin' home to some small Ohio town
Jesus, send some good women to save all the clowns

And circus boy dances like a monkey on barbed wire
And the barker romances with a junkie, she's got a flat tire
And now the elephants dance real funky, and the band plays like a jungle fire
Circus town's on the live wire
And the strong man, Sampson, lifts the midget, little Tiny Tim, way up on his shoulders, way up
Carries him on down the midway
Past the kids, past the sailors, and to his dimly lit trailer
And the Ferris wheel turns and turns like it ain't ever gonna stop
The circus boss leans over and whispers in the little boy's ear, "Hey son, you wanna try the big top?"
Yeah, all aboard, Nebraska's our next stop


Info

The above lyrics are for the live 04 Dec 2001 performance of WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY at Convention Hall in Asbury Park, NJ, during the second of the five 2001 Asbury Park holiday shows. The song was played in a full-band arrangement, with Springsteen backed by The Max Weinberg 7, plus Garry Tallent on tuba.

Ticket stub for the 04 Dec 2001 show at Asbury Park Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ
Ticket stub for the 04 Dec 2001 show at Asbury Park Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ

Bruce Springsteen performed five Asbury Park holiday shows in 2001 (01, 04, 06, 07, and 08 December). These concerts were billed as "Bruce Springsteen with The Max Weinberg 7 and Friends", with The Max Weinberg 7 serving as the house band, and Springsteen bringing guests on and off the stage throughout the shows.

Credits

Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.

Available Versions

List of available versions of WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY on this website:

WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY [Album version]
WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY [Live 09 Jan 1973 version]
WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY [Live 31 Jan 1973 (early show) version]
WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY [Live 02 Mar 1973 version]
WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY [Live 24 Apr 1973 (early show) version]
WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY [Live 01 May 1973 version]
WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY [Live 31 May 1973 (WGOE-FM) version]
WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY [Live 02 Jun 1973 version]
WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY [Live 03 Mar 1974 (late show) version]
WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY [Live 09 Mar 1974 (KLOL-FM) version]
WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY [Live 09 Apr 1974 version]
WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY [Live 16 Nov 1990 version]
WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY [Live 26 Nov 1996 version]
WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY [Live 04 Dec 2001 version]
WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY [Live 19 Dec 2004 (early show) version]
WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY [Live 22 Jun 2005 version]
WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY [Live 27 Apr 2008 version]
WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY [Live 25 Sep 2009 version]
WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY [Live 07 Nov 2009 version]

Page last updated: 08 Jan 2012