Formed in the Lower East Side of New York by Alex Mitchell (vocals), Ricky Beck Mahler (guitar), Gary Sunshine (bass) and Ryan Maher (drums), their rough and rugged New York gutter image set them apart from emerging west coast sleaze bands. They toiled in the New York bar scene for years before RCA picked up on their blues-based, AC/DC influenced brand of metal. For Vices, the group moved Sunshine to guitar, and added bassist Zowie as the fifth member. But their brand of raunchy rock 'n' roll failed to catch on and the band was dropped.
The band revamped with Zowie being replaced by Mark Frappeir, and Maher by Victor Indrizzo respectively. They signed to Columbia and relocated to Los Angeles, but by the time Magic & Madness saw the light of day, the hard rocking music of the eighties was out of style. Circus Of Power disbanded in the mid-nineties without much fanfare, but has periodically played one-off shows.
Sunshine recorded with NY Loose, The Silos as well as a solo artist since the break-up. Mitchell fronted Uncle Max's Cosmic Band and its offshoot Fat Nancy, as well as writing a book titled "Life Is A Phantom K-Mart Horse Starting Up In The Middle Of The Night". Victor Indrizzo became the drummer of the much celebrated desert rock band Masters of Reality and a prominent session musician.
Heaven & Hell
Circus of Power Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Alright
I want to make myself complete
I want to hold it in my arms
I want this blow to scar your eyes
I want this pain to go away
I want to shake this stinkin' fear
Born to live, live to die
Yeah we're livin'
Give to try, try to give
Like this is heaven and hell
You want to write my name in blood
You want to carve it in my arm
You want to make yourself a dream
You want this world under your thumb
You want to make me shout and scream
We know there ain't no heaven
Born to live, live to die
Yeah we're livin'
Give to try, try to give
Like this is heaven
Born to live, live to die
Yeah we're livin'
Give to try, try to give
Like this is heaven and hell
And we all know it well
Break down my blues, my fucked up blues
It gets so hard sometimes
With all the shit goin' down around you
But you gotta surround your heart with steel
And bust these blues, yeah
Yeah, bust this blues
Right out the ... yeaaahhh
Born to live, live to die
Yeah we're livin'
Give to try, try to give
Like this is heaven
Born to live, live to die
Yeah we're livin'
Give to try, try to give
Like this is heaven and hell
The opening lines of Circus Of Power's song Heaven & Hell suggest the singer's desire for completion and the need to conquer fear and pain. The succeeding lines, "I want this blow to scar your eyes, I want this pain to go away, I want to shake this stinkin' fear," allude to an incident or individual who has caused harm or inflicted pain upon the singer. However, the singer also acknowledges the absence of heaven in reality, which can be interpreted as a loss of hope and a deep feeling of despair.
The chorus, "Born to live, live to die, yeah, we're livin', give to try, try to give, like this is heaven and hell," highlights the idea of living in a world of contrasting emotions and experiences. The line "give to try, try to give" represents the singer's willingness to keep trying, despite the pain and hardship, while the final line of the chorus, "like this is heaven and hell," reaffirms the idea that life can be both rewarding and painful.
The verse "You want to write my name in blood, you want to carve it in my arm, you want to make yourself a dream, you want this world under your thumb, you want to make me shout and scream," appears to be directed towards an individual who is trying to control or manipulate the singer. The song concludes with the lines, "But you gotta surround your heart with steel and bust these blues, yeah, yeah, bust these blues right out," which suggest that the singer is advocating for resilience in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to make myself complete
I want to feel whole and satisfied with myself
I want to hold it in my arms
I want to have what I desire and embrace it tightly
I want this blow to scar your eyes
I want my actions to affect you deeply and leave a lasting impression
I want this pain to go away
I want to free myself from the hurt and suffering
I want to shake this stinkin' fear
I want to overcome my anxiety and apprehension
I wish there was a heaven
I hope for a peaceful and joyful afterlife
Born to live, live to die
We are here to exist, but our ultimate fate is death
You want to write my name in blood
You want to control and possess me, even if it means causing physical harm
You want to carve it in my arm
You want to leave a permanent mark of ownership on me
You want to make yourself a dream
You want to live in an idealistic world that exists only in your imagination
You want this world under your thumb
You want to have complete power and control over everything and everyone
You want to make me shout and scream
You want to provoke a strong emotional response from me
We know there ain't no heaven
We realize that an afterlife paradise doesn't exist
Break down my blues, my fucked up blues
Help me overcome my sadness and depression
It gets so hard sometimes
Life can be challenging and difficult to deal with
But you gotta surround your heart with steel
You need to be tough and resilient in order to endure hardships
And bust these blues, yeah
Break free from this negative mindset
Right out the ... yeaaahhh
Overpower the sadness and find happiness
And we all know it well
We are aware of the harsh realities of life
Like this is heaven
Even though life can be tough, we try to make the most of it and find happiness
Like this is heaven and hell
Life can be both joyful and painful at the same time
Contributed by Jonathan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@livejay9062
This whole album is a hidden gem from the 90's. Start to finish, kick ass.
@roommaster
totally agree... my older cousin had (has?) the album. probably got it like 20-25 years ago. still lovin it!
@duncan3998
1992 or 93 gem..regardless. it's a Layne-type special
@abeing6817
Agree
@dyr234
the fact jerry cantrell is in here makes me like both bands more.
@duncan3998
Which timestamp?
@Humblemumble7
So is Layne
@darrenmcmackin330
@@duncan3998218
@DanieLatzanich
"hehe hehe. Alice in Chains rules!" "Shut up dillweed, this isn't Alice in Chains, this is that band that SOUNDS like Alice in Chains." "oh yeah, heh heh"
@Intermentor
Well, not so much. Maybe some tracks. And Jerry is guesting