In 1973, Springsteen released his first two albums, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle, neither of which earned him a large audience. He changed his style and reached worldwide popularity with Born to Run in 1975. It was followed by Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978) and The River (1980), which topped the US Billboard 200 chart. After the solo recording, Nebraska (1982), he reunited with the E Street Band for Born in the U.S.A. (1984), his most commercially successful album and one of the best-selling albums of all time. Seven of its singles reached the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100, including the title track. Springsteen recorded his next three albums, Tunnel of Love (1987), Human Touch (1992), and Lucky Town (1992) using mostly session musicians. He reassembled the E Street Band for 1995's Greatest Hits, then recorded the sparse acoustic The Ghost of Tom Joad, followed by the EP Blood Brothers (1996), his last release of the decade.
Springsteen dedicated his 2002 album The Rising to the victims of the September 11 attacks. He released two more folk albums, Devils & Dust (2005) and We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006), followed by two more albums with the E Street Band: Magic (2007) and Working on a Dream (2009). The next two, Wrecking Ball (2012) and High Hopes (2014), topped album charts worldwide. His latest releases include the solo Western Stars (2019), the E Street Band-featuring Letter to You (2020) and a solo cover album Only the Strong Survive (2022). When Letter to You went to No.2 in the US, Springsteen became the first artist to score a Top Five hit across six consecutive decades.
Among the album era's prominent acts, Springsteen has sold more than 140 million records worldwide and more than 71 million in the United States, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists. He has earned numerous awards for his work, including 20 Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes, an Academy Award, and a Special Tony Award (for Springsteen on Broadway). Springsteen was inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2009, named MusiCares person of the year in 2013, and awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2016. He ranked 23rd on Rolling Stone's list of the Greatest Artists of All Time, which described him as being "the embodiment of rock & roll".
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Springsteen
Studio albums
Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. (1973)
The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (1973)
Born to Run (1975)
Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
The River (1980)
Nebraska (1982)
Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
Tunnel of Love (1987)
Human Touch (1992)
Lucky Town (1992)
The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995)
The Rising (2002)
Devils & Dust (2005)
We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006)
Magic (2007)
Working on a Dream (2009)
Wrecking Ball (2012)
High Hopes (2014)
Western Stars (2019)
Letter to You (2020)
Only the Strong Survive (2022)
Wild Billy's Circus Story
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
Circus town's on the shortwave
Well, the runway lies ahead like a great false dawn
Oh, fat lady, big mama, Missy Bimbo sits in her chair and yawns
And the midget licks his fingers and suffers Missy Bimbo's scorn
Circus town's been born
Oh, and a press roll drummer go, ballerina to-and-fro
Cartwheelin' up on that tightrope
With a cannon blast, lightnin' flash, movin' fast through the tent, Mars-bent
He's gonna miss his fall, oh, God save the human cannonball
And the flyin' Zambinis watch Margarita do her neck twist
And the ringmaster gets the crowd to count along
Ninety-five, ninety-six, ninety-seven
A ragged suitcase in his hand, he steals silently away from the circus grounds
And the highway's haunted by the carnival sounds
They dance like a great greasepaint ghost on the wind
A man in baggy pants, a lonely face, a crazy grin
Runnin' home to some small Ohio town
Jesus, send some good women to save all your 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 Samson lifts the midget
Little Tiny Tim, way up on his shoulders, way up
And carries him on down the midway
Past the kids, past the sailors, to his dimly lit trailer
And the Ferris wheel turns and turns like it ain't ever gonna stop
And the circus boss leans over and whispers into the little boy's ear
Hey, son, you want to try the big top?
All aboard, Nebraska's our next stop
Wild Billy's Circus Story is a song off of Bruce Springsteen's second album, The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle. The song tells the story of an old-fashioned circus, complete with fire eaters, sword swallowers, and a man-beast in a cage. The circus comes to town with a great fanfare, but as the song progresses, we understand that the performers and the circus bosses have a lonely existence. An eerie, haunting presence follows them even as the circus moves on to the next town, and the highway is haunted by the carnival sounds. The circus is a transient world, and even as the performers seem to be fearless and brave, their lives are often sad, and they yearn for love, companionship, and a sense of belonging. The song is tinged with melancholy, as we see the performers try to deal with their loneliness and dislocation.
One of the most interesting facts about the song is that it is based on a real-life circus that Springsteen saw as a child. He drew inspiration from a circus that came to his hometown of Freehold, New Jersey, in 1957. Springsteen was just 8 years old at the time, and the experience left an indelible mark on him. Another interesting fact is that the song features a large number of instruments, including saxophones, trumpets, trombones, violins, and cellos. This gives the song a big, full sound that is reminiscent of the circus bands of yesteryear.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah, one, two, three four
The start of the song is signaled with a countdown that reaches a climax and is followed by a pause.
The machinist climbs his Ferris wheel like a brave
The Ferris wheel operator ascends his ride with courage and confidence.
And the fire-eater's lyin' in a pool of sweat, victim of the heat wave
The fire breather is prone in a sweltering pool of perspiration, the oppressive heat taking its toll.
Behind the tent, the hired hand tightens his legs on the sword swallower's blade
A worker assisting the sword swallower tightens clamps to keep the blades from harming him.
Circus town's on the shortwave
News of the circus has hit the airwaves.
Well, the runway lies ahead like a great false dawn
A metaphor for the deception and disappointment that loom ahead.
Oh, fat lady, big mama, Missy Bimbo sits in her chair and yawns
A heavy-set woman named Missy Bimbo simulates her boredom and indifference.
And the man-beast lies in his cage sniffin' popcorn
The human-animal hybrid sits in his enclosure smelling the concession snacks.
And the midget licks his fingers and suffers Missy Bimbo's scorn
A small person wipes his hands after eating, getting a disapproving look from Missy Bimbo.
Circus town's been born
The circus has come into being.
Oh, and a press roll drummer go, ballerina to-and-fro
A dramatic tribute to the rhythm section and the dancers who use its beat.
Cartwheelin' up on that tightrope
A tightrope walker does acrobatics while traveling the high wire.
With a cannon blast, lightnin' flash, movin' fast through the tent, Mars-bent
A gunpowder explosion, along with a flash of lightning, plunges a performer quickly through the tent, in a highly dangerous manner.
He's gonna miss his fall, oh, God save the human cannonball
An uncertain fate awaits the human projectile blasted from a cannon.
And the flyin' Zambinis watch Margarita do her neck twist
Trained aerialists witness a neck contortionist displaying her art.
And the ringmaster gets the crowd to count along / Ninety-five, ninety-six, ninety-seven
The ringmaster encourages the audience to join him in a countdown as he introduces a new act.
A ragged suitcase in his hand, he steals silently away from the circus grounds
An anonymous character slips away with a shoddy suitcase from the circus.
And the highway's haunted by the carnival sounds
The noise of the passing circus vehicles and performers lingers on the highways after they have departed.
They dance like a great greasepaint ghost on the wind
The spirit of the circus is evoked by its remnants that swirl through the air.
A man in baggy pants, a lonely face, a crazy grin
A vagabond dressed in loose clothing with a lonesome expression wears a crazed look on his face.
Runnin' home to some small Ohio town / Jesus, send some good women to save all your clowns
A clown figuratively runs to Ohio, praying for the appearance of angelic saviors to rescue him from loneliness.
And circus boy dances like a monkey on barbed wire
A boy from the circus leaps about like a primate on a dangerous barrier.
And the barker romances with a junkie, she's got a flat tire
The carnival barker flirts with a drug addict whose car needs repair.
And now the elephants dance real funky and the band plays like a jungle fire
The show reaches a climax as the pachyderms and the lively music create an intoxicating spectacle.
Circus town's on the live wire
The fervor of the performers has reached a boiling point.
And the strong man Samson lifts the midget / Little Tiny Tim, way up on his shoulders, way up / And carries him on down the midway / Past the kids, past the sailors, to his dimly lit trailer
The mighty Samson lifts the diminutive Tiny Tim onto his broad shoulders and carries him through the fairgrounds to his humble dwelling, past crowds of curious people, many of them sailors.
And the Ferris wheel turns and turns like it ain't ever gonna stop
The Ferris wheel remains in perpetual motion, going round and round.
And the circus boss leans over and whispers into the little boy's ear / Hey, son, you want to try the big top?
The head of the circus offers a young boy the chance to experience the grand spectacle for himself.
All aboard, Nebraska's our next stop
The circus' next destination will be Nebraska.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind