Lenny Bruce Lee
Craig Cardiff Lyrics

He walked up to front of stage
The singer is describing how someone walked up to the front of the stage.

More Lenny Bruce than Bruce Lee
The person who walked up to the front of the stage is more like Lenny Bruce than Bruce Lee.

Said "Hey, is there a doctor in the house?"
The person who walked up to the front of the stage said, 'Hey, is there a doctor in the house?'

My hands are all clammy
The person who walked up to the front of the stage is nervous, as evidenced by their clammy hands.

My spine's made of rubber
The person feels weak and intimidated, as represented by their spine being made of rubber.

Less lion than a mouse
The person's personality is timid and weak, rather than bold and confident like a lion.

Her makeup was a mess
There is a woman whose makeup is disheveled.

Near tears, but pitch perfect
Despite being on the brink of tears, the woman is singing perfectly.

I asked her why
The singer is asking the woman with disheveled makeup why she is upset.

She said "Can't you see?"
The woman is incredulous that the singer doesn't understand the source of her upset.

It's the way they treat the lions
The woman is upset about how the circus treats its lions.

Dressed up courageous
The lions are forced to put on an act of courage for the entertainment of the audience.

At the end of the night
After the show concludes.

It's back to the cages
The lions are returned to their cages after the show.

And I can't stand it
The woman is upset and cannot tolerate this treatment of the lions.

I can barely take it
The woman is so upset that she can hardly handle it.

We'll take the long. Way. Back. Home
The singer and woman will take a longer route home to delay the inevitable return to their mundane lives.

The crowd all applauded
The audience clapped for the performance.

And at this fine spectacle
The performance was impressive and enjoyable to watch.

A true talent
The performer was skilled and talented.

Wouldn't you agree
The singer is asking the audience if they agree that the performer was talented.

The failure of the weak
The performer's skilled performance underscores the weakness of the vocal woman earlier in the song.

The headlines recounted
The news stories about the event reported how impressive the performance was.

Quite the thing to see
The performance was very impressive and memorable.

My story was a mess
The singer's own story is chaotic and disordered.

Near tears, pitch perfect
The singer, like the woman earlier in the song, is nearly crying but still singing perfectly.

She asked why, I said "Please"
The singer is asked by the woman to explain why they are also upset and the singer's response is simply 'please'.

It's the townies and carnies
The people that put on the circus are ordinary and unremarkable, not exotic like the animals.

At the end of the night
After the show concludes.

It's back to the cages
The circus workers and performers have no freedom and are also forced to 'return to their cages'

And I can't stand it
The singer is angry about how the circus workers and performers are being taken advantage of.

I can barely take it
The singer is so upset they can hardly handle it.

And we'll take the long. Way. Back. Home
The singer and the woman with disheveled makeup will take the longer way home to avoid the harsh reality of their lives.

The best nights are those
The singer believes the best nights are the ones where something profound occurs.

Where your chest is broken open
When a person is extremely emotional and feels deeply.

Your heart feels so big
The person feels their heart expand with emotion and empathy.

It can fit the whole ocean
The person feels an overwhelming amount of emotion that they feel could fill an ocean.

Before they close it
Before closing the circus or the show.

Before they close up
Before the show or circus is fully finished.

Will you dance with me
The singer is asking the woman to dance with him.

We won't call it dancing
The singer wants the woman to share a moment with him, but doesn't want to label it.

Just moving and standing
Two people simply being physically close and moving together.

Together in one place
The two characters sharing a moment together in the same space.

And up with the lights
As the lights come up on the show or circus.

Dressed up courageous
The characters are mimicking the courage of the lions in the show.

The end of the night
After the show concludes.

We'll pick our own cages
The characters have made their own choices, even if they are constricting.

And I can't tell you how
The singer is unable to express how much this moment and this decision means to him.

How long I've been waiting
The singer has been waiting for this moment, or an escape from this mundane reality, for a long time.

We'll take the long. Way. Back. Home :(
The characters are resigned to their lifetimes of mediocrity, but will prolong the journey home to enjoy the present moment a little longer.