I. David Wilcox i… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least two artists named David Wilcox.
I. David Wilcox is a Canadian rock and blues musician.
II. David Wilcox is an American folk musician and singer-songwriter guitarist.
I. More than three decades into his career, singer/songwriter David Wilcox continues to push himself, just as he always has. Wilcox, by so many measures, is a quintessential folk singer, telling stories full of heart, humor, and hope, substance, searching, and style. His innate sense of adventure and authenticity is why critics and colleagues, alike, have always praised not just his artistry, but his humanity, as well.
That's not by accident; it's very much by design. It's the result of a man giving himself over in gratitude and service to something bigger than himself. “I'm grateful to music,” he says. “I have a life that feels deeply good, but when I started playing music, nothing in my life felt that good. I started to write songs because I wanted to find a way to make my life feel as good as I felt when I heard a great song. I don't think I'd be alive now if it had not been for music.”
An early '80s move to Warren Wilson College in North Carolina set his wheels in motion, as he started playing guitar and writing songs, processing his own inner workings and accessing his own inner wisdom. In 1987, within a couple of years of graduating, Wilcox had released his first independent album, The Nightshift Watchman. A year later, he won the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Award and, in 1989, he signed with A&M Records, selling more than 100,000 copies of his A&M debut, How Did You Find Me Here.
In the 30 years and more than 20 records since — whether with a major label, an indie company, or his own imprint — Wilcox has continued to hone his craft, pairing thoughtful insights with his warm baritone, open tunings, and deft technique. He's also kept up a brisk and thorough tour itinerary, performing 80 to 100 shows a year throughout the U.S., and regularly deploying his talents by improvising a “Musical Medicine” song for an audience member in need. In recent years he’s taken that process a step further, carefully writing and recording dozens of his “Custom Songs” for long-time fans who seek his help in commemorating and explaining the key milestones in their lives.
Lest anyone think that he's lost his touch, Wilcox pulled no punches on his most recent release, 2018's The View From the Edge. Not only does the song cycle find him delving into mental health, family legacies, spiritual contemplations, and topical concerns, the song “We Make the Way By Walking" also won him the Grand Prize in the 2018 USA Songwriting Contest.
"I think the coolest thing about this kind of music is that, if you listen to a night's worth of music, you should know that person,” he explains. “If you're hearing a performer sing all these songs, you should know not only where he gets his joy and what he loves, but you should know what pisses him off and what frightens him and what runs him off the rails, what takes him apart and what puts him back together.”
To attain that level of revelatory honesty, Wilcox follows a song to its deepest truth, even when it haunts him, a practice which demands the strength of vulnerability that he has sought since his teen years. That honesty is why Rolling Stone has written that his “ongoing musical journey is compelling and richly deserving of a listen.” It's also why Blue Ridge Public Radio has noted that, “The connection people feel with David’s music is also the connection they feel with each other.”
But Wilcox's unique brand of storytelling doesn't come easily. And it doesn't come quickly. “I could always think of a lot of possible ways the song could go, but the trick was recognizing truth amidst all the cleverness,” he confesses. “The more time I took, the more my deep heart could speak to me through the process of songwriting. I could gradually craft a song that felt like it was coming from the place I was going. If you decide to trust heart over cleverness, you not only get a song that moves you, you get a song that moves you toward being who you want to be. The time you spend immersed in the emotion of a song changes you. The song shows you the world through a particular point of view. Once you have seen the world that way, you can't un-see it.”
Website: David Wilcox
II. The American David Wilcox was born in Cleveland, Ohio. His work features lyrical insight, asmooth baritone voice, virtuosic guitar chops, and creative open tunings. He released an independent album in 1987, won the Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk award in 1988, and by 1989 he had signed with A&M Records. His first release on the label, ‘How Did You Find Me Here’, sold over 100,000 copies its first year. 17 albums later his songs have been covered by artists such as k.d. lang and many others.
The Kid
David Wilcox Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now I'm watering elephants
But sometimes I lie awake in the sawdust
Dreaming I'm in a suit of light
Late at night in the empty big top I'm
All alone on the high wire
Look, he's working without a net this time
He's a real death-defier
I'm the kid who always looked out the window
Failing tests in geography
But I've seen things far beyond just the schoolyard
Distant shores of exotic lands
There's the spires of the Turkish empire
It's six months since we made landfall
Riding low with the spices of India
Through Gibraltar, we're rich men all
I'm the kid who thought we'd someday be lovers
Always held out that time would tell
Time was talking, I guess I just wasn't listening
No surprise if you know me well
And as we're walking toward the train station
There's a whispering rainfall
'Cross the boulevard you slip your hand in mine
In the distance the train calls
I'm the kid who has this habit of dreaming
Sometimes gets me in trouble too
But the truth is I could no more stop dreaming
Than I could make them all come true
In David Wilcox's song, "The Kid," he tells the story of a person who ran away with the circus and is now watering elephants. This person dreams of being a performer on the high wire, wearing a suit of light and risking everything to entertain the crowd. The song is about living a life that is not conventional but is filled with adventure and excitement.
The first verse of the song talks about the thrill of being in the circus and performing dangerous stunts. The person is now working a more mundane job, but the memory of being in the circus still brings excitement. The second verse describes the person's love for travel and seeing the world beyond their small town. They have seen exotic lands and cultures and have become a more worldly person. The final verse is about the person's habit of dreaming and how it defines their life. They are always dreaming of a better future or a different life, but they still appreciate the simple moments of walking in the rain with someone they care about.
The overall message of the song is to embrace the unconventional aspects of life and to never stop dreaming. The person in the song may not have achieved all their dreams, but the act of dreaming itself has given them a rich and fulfilling life.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm the kid who ran away with the circus
I am the person who left my normal life for adventure and excitement.
Now I'm watering elephants
I am currently doing a humble job within the circus.
But sometimes I lie awake in the sawdust
I think about my current place in the circus and wonder if it is the right choice for me.
Dreaming I'm in a suit of light
I dream of being the star performer, wearing a dazzling costume and wowing the crowd with my skills.
Late at night in the empty big top I'm
During the quiet, lonely moments, I imagine myself on center stage.
All alone on the high wire
I imagine myself doing a dangerous, yet thrilling performance on the high wire, without a safety net.
Look, he's working without a net this time
The audience is amazed by my daring, risky performance.
He's a real death-defier
I am someone who is fearless and takes bold risks.
I'm the kid who always looked out the window
I am someone who is easily distracted and spends a lot of time daydreaming.
Failing tests in geography
I struggle with practical subjects that require a lot of memorization and focus.
But I've seen things far beyond just the schoolyard
I have had experiences that go beyond what can be learned in a classroom.
Distant shores of exotic lands
I have traveled to faraway places and seen cultures and customs different from my own.
There's the spires of the Turkish empire
I have visited Turkey and seen its impressive architecture.
It's six months since we made landfall
I have been on a long journey by sea to exotic places.
Riding low with the spices of India
I have been on a ship carrying valuable goods from India.
Through Gibraltar, we're rich men all
Passing through Gibraltar symbolizes our success as wealthy and adventurous people.
I'm the kid who thought we'd someday be lovers
I am someone who has romantic dreams and hopes.
Always held out that time would tell
I believed that if I waited long enough, my dreams would come true.
Time was talking, I guess I just wasn't listening
In reality, my dreams were not feasible or realistic, and time showed me this truth.
No surprise if you know me well
If you know me, it is not surprising that my dreams were unrealistic.
And as we're walking toward the train station
Together, we are leaving our current location and moving on to a new journey.
There's a whispering rainfall
The sound of the rain adds to the atmosphere and mood of the moment.
'Cross the boulevard you slip your hand in mine
You reach out to me and we share a tender moment.
In the distance the train calls
The train is a symbol of our continued journey and the new experiences that await us.
I'm the kid who has this habit of dreaming
I am someone who frequently imagines and dreams, even if they are impractical.
Sometimes gets me in trouble too
My tendency to dream can have negative consequences, as I may not always be grounded in reality.
But the truth is I could no more stop dreaming
Dreaming is a part of who I am, and I cannot change that.
Than I could make them all come true
However, I recognize that not all dreams are feasible, and I cannot always make them a reality.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BUDDY MONDLOCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind