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.
Swamp Devil
Circus of Power Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gonna move your hips till your legs start to shiver
I’m drinkin’ superman juice to get me real loose
Cos stayin’ at home is hangin’ from a noose
Yeah …
Prayin’ to the sun
Prayin’ to the moon
Swamp devil (were goin’ to see)
Swamp devil (to get what you need)
Swamp devil (were goin’ to see)
Move your tail just like an alligator
If ya don’t have the rhythm, have to see ya later
Oh …
Gimme, gimme love
Gimme, gimme strength, no, no …
Gimme, gimme somethin’ I need to get me straight
Swamp devil (were goin’ to see)
Swamp devil (to get what you need)
Swamp devil, yeh-yeh … (were goin’ to see)
Swamp devil, yeah-yeah …
Alright …
Ha, ha, ha ...
Ya do that dance cos you gots to get the feelin’
Ya gotta groove your soul till your head starts a reelin, yeah
I’m drinkin’ superman juice to get me real loose
Cos stayin’ at home is hangin’ from a noose
Prayin’ to the sun
Prayin’ to the moon, no, no …
Prayin’ for yer ass, cos its all comin’ down real soon
Swamp devil (were goin’ to see)
Swamp devil, yeah-yeah … (to get what you need)
Swamp devil, yeah-yeah ! (were goin’ to see)
Swamp devil, no, no …
Ya kick it to the left
Ya kick it to the right
Ya kick the motherfucker till it’s clear outta sight, yeah
The song "Swamp Devil" by Circus of Power seems to be about letting loose and escaping the mundanity of everyday life through dancing and living in the moment. The lyrics begin with an invitation to come to the river and dance until your legs start to shiver, as the singer drinks Superman juice to get loose. They suggest that staying at home is like hanging from a noose, and the song pushes the idea of getting out and enjoying the world around you, embracing the experience and letting everything else fall away.
The repeated verse of "praying to the sun, praying to the moon, praying for your ass 'cause it's all coming down real soon" seems to suggest that life can be tough, and that this experience of escaping and dancing is a way to deal with that. The song acknowledges the fear in the world, but also encourages people to take time to really let go of that fear and move their bodies. The chorus of "swamp devil" being repeated, suggests that this dancing and getting loose is a sort of religion or way of life that the singer believes in, and that it's something they want to share with others.
Overall, "Swamp Devil" seems to be about enjoying life, dancing, and forgetting about everything else. It's a call to action to live in the moment and to let your body take over. It's about connecting with something bigger than yourself and letting that guide you.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on along go straight to the river
Let's go to the river right now.
Gonna move your hips till your legs start to shiver
Dance until you can't dance anymore.
I’m drinkin’ superman juice to get me real loose
I'm drinking alcohol to loosen up and enjoy the moment.
Cos stayin’ at home is hangin’ from a noose
Staying at home is boring and depressing.
Prayin’ to the sun
Hoping for good things to come.
Prayin’ to the moon
Hoping for good things to come.
Prayin’ for yer ass, cos it’s all comin’ down real soon
Hoping for good luck or a miracle because things are not looking good.
Swamp devil (were goin’ to see)
Going to see the devil at the swamp.
Swamp devil (to get what you need)
Visiting the devil at the swamp to get what you want.
Move your tail just like an alligator
Dance like an alligator.
If ya don’t have the rhythm, have to see ya later
If you can't dance, you're not welcome.
Gimme, gimme love
I want love.
Gimme, gimme strength, no, no …
I want strength.
Gimme, gimme somethin’ I need to get me straight
I want something that will help me feel better.
Ya do that dance cos you gots to get the feelin’
Dance to feel good or to get in the mood for something.
Ya gotta groove your soul till your head starts a reelin, yeah
Dance until you feel it in your heart and your head.
Prayin’ to the sun
Praying for good things to come.
Prayin’ to the moon, no, no …
Praying for good things to come.
Prayin’ for yer ass, cos its all comin’ down real soon
Hoping for good luck or a miracle because things are not looking good.
Swamp devil (were goin’ to see)
Going to see the devil at the swamp.
Swamp devil, yeah-yeah … (to get what you need)
Visiting the devil at the swamp to get what you want.
Swamp devil, yeah-yeah ! (were goin’ to see)
Going to see the devil at the swamp.
Swamp devil, no, no …
The devil at the swamp is not a good idea.
Ya kick it to the left
Dance to the left.
Ya kick it to the right
Dance to the right.
Ya kick the motherfucker till it’s clear outta sight, yeah
Dance so hard the problem goes away.
Contributed by Thomas T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.