The band has achieved neither critical nor popular success during its time. Perhaps their only claim to fame, other than Crowe's celebrity status, is the Frenzal Rhomb song "Russell Crowe's Band", in which it is described as "a fucking pile of shit".
In 2005, Crowe changed the band's name from "30 Odd Foot Of Grunts", to "The Ordinary Fear Of God" (still TOFOG, admittedly to save on costs of remaking the band's monogrammed items).
Circus
30 Odd Foot of Grunts Lyrics
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To waste some time
The barker was yelling what's on
So I laid up my money
And I waited in line
The circus was just like home
The crowd had gathered
To backstage places unknown
I could tell by the fire
And the moon and the sky
The circus was just like home
There were animal cages
And animal tails
Woman who move like a poem
With their vampire faces
And beautiful nails
The circus felt just like home
The strong man was dancing
In the clothes that he borrowed from a girl in the chorus line
And the gypsy was drinking like there's no tomorrow with the
Ringmaster who was drinkng faster
Blessing everybody with wine
Behind at the lion tamer running around
Looking like a Christian in Rome
They were loading the cannon with the Portuguese clown
And the circus was just like home
The strong man was dancing in the clothes that he borrowed
From a girl in the chorus line
And the gypsy was drinking like there's no tomorrow with the
Ringmaster who was drinkng faster
Blessing everybody with wine
I went to the circus
It was cash in advance
The barker was yelling what's on
He said come to the circus
You can smell the romance
See all the tigers and elephants dance
Thousands of suckers paid up for the chance
And the circus was just like home30 Odd Foot of Grunts Lyrics Index
The lyrics of "Circus" by 30 Odd Foot of Grunts tells the story of an individual who visits the circus to waste some time. As the singer makes his way into the circus, he realizes that it is eerily similar to home. The animal cages, animal tails, and women who moved like a poem, were accompanied by vampire faces and beautiful nails. As the strong man dances in borrowed chorus line clothes, the gypsy drinks like there's no tomorrow, and the ringmaster who drinks faster than anyone else blesses everyone with wine. The lion tamer runs around, looking like a Christian in Rome, while the cannon is loaded with a Portuguese clown. The crowd watches as the elephants and tigers dance, and the singer realizes that the circus was just like home.
The lyrics of "Circus" are a metaphor of balance between the normal world and the dark, the human need to step out of boundaries and enter unknown places. However, while seeking pleasure and thrill, the singer finds that what awaits him at the circus is not as different from what he had left behind, and the sense of familiarity ensures a certain level of comfort he had been seeking.
Line by Line Meaning
I went to the circus
The singer attended a circus show
To waste some time
The singer went to the circus to pass the time
The barker was yelling what's on
The circus announcer was promoting the show
So I laid up my money
The artist prepared to pay for admission
And I waited in line
The artist joined a queue to enter the circus
The circus was just like home
The singer felt comfortable and familiar at the circus
The crowd had gathered
Many people had come to watch the circus
So I walked on by
The artist went past the crowd
To backstage places unknown
The artist went behind the stage to explore
I could tell by the fire
The artist noticed the fire and used it to recognize the circus
And the moon and the sky
The singer also identified the circus by the sky and moon
There were animal cages
The circus had cages for animals
And animal tails
The animals had tails that the singer observed
Woman who move like a poem
The singer saw a woman who moved gracefully
With their vampire faces
The women had a gothic and mysterious appearance
And beautiful nails
The women had well-manicured and attractive nails
The circus felt just like home
The artist continued to feel at ease at the circus
The strong man was dancing
The circus featured a strong man who was dancing
In the clothes that he borrowed from a girl in the chorus line
The strong man wore clothes that he borrowed from a female performer
And the gypsy was drinking like there's no tomorrow with the
A gypsy was drinking excessively with the
Ringmaster who was drinkng faster
The ringmaster was also drinking heavily
Blessing everybody with wine
The ringmaster was sharing his wine with others
Behind at the lion tamer running around
A lion tamer was running around behind the scenes
Looking like a Christian in Rome
The lion tamer looked out of place in the chaotic scene
They were loading the cannon with the Portuguese clown
A clown from Portugal was being loaded into a cannon
And the circus was just like home
The singer continued to feel familiar in the circus environment
It was cash in advance
The admission fee had to be paid upfront in cash
He said come to the circus
The announcer invited people to attend the circus
You can smell the romance
The circus had a romantic and thrilling atmosphere
See all the tigers and elephants dance
The audience could watch tigers and elephants perform
Thousands of suckers paid up for the chance
Many people paid to watch the circus
And the circus was just like home
The artist still felt comfortable in the circus environment
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DON WALKER, MICHAEL SMOTHERMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind