Now known as ' Hotel Mira', JPNSGRLS — pronounced “Japanese Girls” — formed… Read Full Bio ↴Now known as ' Hotel Mira', JPNSGRLS — pronounced “Japanese Girls” — formed in Vancouver in 2010 with their debut recording, The Sharkweek EP, releasing through Light Organ Records in 2013. Shortly after, the group linked up with producer Steve Bays (Hot Hot Heat, Mounties) at Greenhouse studios to begin the follow-up material to the EP which would eventually become their 2014 LP release Circulation. The LP saw the band reach landmark successes including top-25 commercial radio charting, performances at major events/festivals (NXNE, SXSW, CMJ, The Great Escape, Pemberton Music Festival, Liverpool Sound City, etc.) and tours both in Canada and internationally. On the heel of this traction, JPNSGRLS headed back to the studio to start on a second LP that is due out later this summer. JPNSGRLS is Charlie Kerr, Chris McClelland, Graham Serl & Colton Lauro.

Circus
JPNSGRLS Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Step right up
Win a lovely prize
For your blushing bride to be

Now that trained bear
He looks suicidal
On his unicycle

But somewhere in Cleveland they're paying to see him wearing a vest
Now he dreamed of forests and hot bowls of porridge I'd wager to guess
They must have their reasons, the whole Coliseum was spewing out filth
I can't really blame them, embracing a wasteland that they didn't build (but honey)
Yogi's in agony
Oh this wasn't meant to be
Someone write him a check

All the tricks
It's not cheating if
The whole thing was fixed

And they would be rich
Off our egos
And our stubbornness

So spare me the details and build me a female out of my ribs
Cause i feared the earthquake and clowns on my birthday since I was a kid
Now clowns get elected, tell us to accept it when we take the hit
The world loves peep shows, let's give ‘em a freak show they won't wanna miss (and honey)
I cried the hardest
When I saw the carnage
Of what I did

There's plenty of options, so many concoctions, keeping us still
And I'm feigning interest in somebody's business, to combat the guilt
And pressed to my temple, it's shiny and metal and hard to resist
I ran out of ammo; instead of kablamo! It just whispered "click"
I cried the hardest

When I saw the carnage
That could've been fixed

Overall Meaning

The song “Circus” by JPNSGRLS delves into themes of manipulation, egotism, and exploitation. The singer describes a circus, using it as a metaphor for the current state of the world. He speaks of the crowd that has gathered to watch the show and how the circus, being a fixed game, is not cheating according to the rules, much like the rules of society. He points out that the people in the world are being manipulated into thinking that their egos are the most important thing and they are too stubborn to realise that they are being cheated. The circus offers a peek into people's behaviour and how they tend to feed on each other's weaknesses. The singer is a witness to all of this and points out how it breaks his heart to see this happening.

The lyrics of the song “Circus” by JPNSGRLS makes a commentary about the modern society and human nature in general. The song speaks of people's tendency to find amusement in the misfortune of others. It highlights the fact that the people's apathy and thirst for control have allowed the power-hungry and manipulative individuals to dominate them. The song challenges the listener to look beyond their own self-interests and think about how their actions affect others. It points out the irony of the fact that for all of humankind's progress, we are still animals that love to watch others in pain and misery.

Line by Line Meaning

Step right up
Enter and join the circus

Win a lovely prize
Get rewarded with something beautiful

For your blushing bride to be
For your soon-to-be wife who is shy and embarrassed

Now that trained bear
The bear that is well-trained

He looks suicidal
He appears to be wanting to take his own life

On his unicycle
While balancing on one wheel

But somewhere in Cleveland they're paying to see him wearing a vest
People in Cleveland are willing to pay to watch him perform a stunt where he wears a vest

Now he dreamed of forests and hot bowls of porridge I'd wager to guess
The bear probably dreams of being in a forest and eating warm porridge

They must have their reasons, the whole Coliseum was spewing out filth
The people watching the circus have their own reasons for enjoying such acts, even though it's morally filthy

I can't really blame them, embracing a wasteland that they didn't build (but honey)
I can't judge them for their actions, in a world that they didn't create

Yogi's in agony
The bear is suffering in pain

Oh this wasn't meant to be
This was not the bear's intended destiny

Someone write him a check
Someone should compensate him for his suffering

All the tricks
All of the circus shows and performances

It's not cheating if
It's not considered cheating if

The whole thing was fixed
The entire event was rigged to ensure a certain outcome

And they would be rich
The circus owners would become wealthy

Off our egos
By taking advantage of our pride and vanity

And our stubbornness
And our unwillingness to acknowledge our weaknesses

So spare me the details and build me a female out of my ribs
Don't bore me with the specifics of life, just give me someone to love that's made from the same materials as myself

Cause i feared the earthquake and clowns on my birthday since I was a kid
Ever since I was young, I've been scared of natural disasters and clowns on my birthday

Now clowns get elected, tell us to accept it when we take the hit
Now people in power with ridiculous personalities are appointed, and we're expected to accept the negative consequences that come with it

The world loves peep shows, let's give ‘em a freak show they won't wanna miss (and honey)
People enjoy observing and judging others, so let's put on a spectacle that they wouldn't want to miss

I cried the hardest
I was the most emotional

When I saw the carnage
When I witnessed the damage and destruction

Of what I did
As a result of my actions

There's plenty of options, so many concoctions, keeping us still
There are many choices and distractions available to us, but they also make it hard for us to take action

And I'm feigning interest in somebody's business, to combat the guilt
I'm faking interest in someone else's affairs to distract myself from feeling guilty

And pressed to my temple, it's shiny and metal and hard to resist
A gun is pressed against my head, it's sparkling and made of metal, and I'm finding it difficult to resist using it

I ran out of ammo; instead of kablamo! It just whispered 'click'
I don't have any bullets left, so instead of hearing a loud bang, I just hear a soft clicking sound

That could've been fixed
That could have been easily repaired or improved

Contributed by Audrey T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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