Beginnings 1962—1963
The Mann-Hugg Blues Brothers (as the band were originally called) were formed in London in December 1962 by keyboard player Manfred Mann and drummer/vibes player Mike Hugg. Born out of the British blues boom then sweeping London's clubs (which also spawned such luminaries as The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds), the band were completed by Mike Vickers on lead guitar, Dave Richmond on bass, and Paul Jones fronting as lead vocalist and harmonica player. Gigging constantly throughout late 1962 and early 1963, the band soon attracted attention for their distinctive sound propelled by Mann's keyboards, Jones' soulful vocals and an occasional horn section.
Manfred Mann's Cock-A-Hoop (1964)
The group signed to HMV Records in March 1963 after a change of name to Manfred Mann (at the suggestion of their label's producer), and debuted in July of that year with the jazzy instrumental single "Why Should We Not?", which failed to chart, as did the follow up (with vocals this time), "Cock-A-Hoop"
Early success 1964—1965
Groovin' with Manfred Mann EP (1964)
In 1964 the group were asked to provide a new theme tune for the ITV pop music TV series Ready Steady Go!. They responded with the energetic "5-4-3-2-1" which, with the help of weekly TV exposure, rose to No.5 in the UK charts. It was shortly after "5-4-3-2-1" was recorded that Richmond left the band, being replaced by Tom McGuinness - the first of many line-up changes. After a further self-penned hit ("Hubble Bubble (Toil And Trouble)") the band struck gold with "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", a cover of a minor hit earlier that year by The Exciters. The track, which showcased Jones' powerful singing, reached the top of both the UK and US charts (The Exciters version had only charted #78 in the US).
During 1965 the group continued to have hits with both self-penned and cover material, their sound increasingly moving away from the blues-based music of their early years to a highly successful pop-soul hybrid. Notably the group began to have success with interpretations of Bob Dylan songs, including "With God On Our Side" as a track on a best-selling EP.
The One In the Middle EP (1965)
They also reached No.2 in the UK with the controversial "If You Gotta Go, Go Now", which was banned or edited by a number of TV and radio stations. Prior to this latter release, Paul Jones announced his intention to quit the band for a solo career once a replacement could be found.
The Mike d'Abo years 1966—1969
Jones stayed with the band for one more year, during which time Mike Vickers was replaced by Jack Bruce of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (long enough to play bass on the band's second UK No.1 single "Pretty Flamingo"). Jones was eventually replaced by Mike d'Abo - among those on the shortlist was Rod Stewart - and this was one of the few occasions when a band has successfully swapped lead singers and remained at the top. Jack Bruce left to form Cream and was replaced by Klaus Voorman (a longtime Beatles associate), with McGuinness moving to guitar. To complete the changes, the group switched labels to Fontana Records.
With d'Abo as vocalist, the group pursued a softer acoustic pop sound, with a tinge of Dylanesque social comment and surrealism in the lyrics. Their first Fontana Records single was in fact a Dylan cover, "Just Like A Woman", and the group went on to score their biggest hit for two years with a cover of his "Mighty Quinn".
Frustrated with the limitations and image of being seen purely as a hit singles band (their last two albums failed to chart), the group split in 1969.
1970s and on— Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Mann went on to write advertising jingles after the group's demise, but still continued to work in the group format. Initially he formed Manfred Mann Chapter Three (with Mike Hugg), an experimental jazz rock band, described by Mann as an over reaction to the hit factory of the Manfred Mann group. This was, however, short lived and by 1971 they had disbanded and Mann had formed a new group, Manfred Mann's Earth Band.
For further details, see Manfred Mann's Earth Band.
5-4-3-2-1 The Manfreds (1998)
1990s and on—The Manfreds
In the 1990s, most of the original 1960s line-up reformed as The Manfreds, minus Manfred Mann himself (hence the name), playing most of the old 1960s hits and a few jazz instrumentals, sometimes with both Paul Jones and Mike d'Abo fronting the line-up.
At the same time Jones and Tom McGuinness (McGuinness formed McGuinness Flint in 1970, but they disbanded in 1975) have been mainstays of The Blues Band (which they helped form in 1978).
Circles
Manfred Mann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Going round in circles
Directions all messed up
I go to ground on a bottle of wine
And drown myself in the flood
My frozen toes are beginning to melt
And think I'm catching a cold
I gotta get back to your love
I'm a clown without a circus
There's no-one to see my act
I can dance and sing and stand on my head
Nodbody knows where I'm at
My frozen toes are beginning to melt
I think I'm catching a cold
Got oil on my feathers and I can't fly
I gotta get back to your love
My days are long and lonely
And I feel so insecure
There ain't nothing funny I'm losing you honey
I can't laugh anymore
Old chang surely told me
Not to mess with what you got
But I went stomping all over your head
Like a bull in a china shop
The song "Circles" by Manfred Mann's Earth Band is essentially about being lost, disoriented and aimless. The repetition of 'going round in circles' and 'directions all messed up' suggest a feeling of being trapped or stuck, perhaps in a cycle of self-destructive behavior. The singer appears to be using alcohol as a coping mechanism to numb his feelings of aimlessness and his lack of purpose.
The image of oil on his feathers and frozen toes melting is a metaphor for feeling weighed down by his problems and starting to feel the effects of his destructive lifestyle. He realizes that he needs to make a change, which he feels can only be achieved by returning to the love of someone he cares about. He feels like a clown without a circus because he feels he has lost his way in life and is not sure what his purpose is.
Finally, the song suggests that being reckless and self-destructive often ends in pain and regret, as the singer reflects on the advice he was given by someone wiser and regrets not having listened. The song is a powerful meditation on the dangers of being aimless and the need for strong relationships to provide guidance and meaning in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Going round in circles
Feeling stuck and unable to move forward
Directions all messed up
Feeling lost and confused about which way to go
I go to ground on a bottle of wine
Drinking to cope with emotional pain and problems
And drown myself in the flood
Feeling overwhelmed by emotions and difficulties
My frozen toes are beginning to melt
Starting to feel a thaw in emotions and attitude
And think I'm catching a cold
Feeling physically and emotionally unwell
Got oil on my feathers and I can't fly
Feeling weighed down and unable to move forward in life
I gotta get back to your love
Realizing that love and support are essential to happiness and well-being
I'm a clown without a circus
Feeling like you don't have a place to belong or a purpose in life
There's no-one to see my act
Feeling ignored or unappreciated by others
I can dance and sing and stand on my head
Being talented or creative, but without an audience or platform
Nodbody knows where I'm at
Feeling isolated and ignored by others
My frozen toes are beginning to melt
Starting to feel a thaw in emotions and attitude
I think I'm catching a cold
Feeling physically and emotionally unwell
Got oil on my feathers and I can't fly
Feeling weighed down and unable to move forward in life
I gotta get back to your love
Realizing that love and support are essential to happiness and well-being
My days are long and lonely
Feeling unhappy and isolated in daily life
And I feel so insecure
Feeling uncertain and lacking in confidence
There ain't nothing funny I'm losing you honey
Feeling sad and desperate about losing a loved one
I can't laugh anymore
Feeling unable to find joy or happiness
Old chang surely told me
A reference to a wise person or mentor
Not to mess with what you got
Being warned to appreciate and protect what you already have
But I went stomping all over your head
Being careless and destructive in a relationship
Like a bull in a china shop
Acting recklessly and causing damage in delicate situations
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALAN MARKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@starmon9895
This song has helped me through the toughest time in my life rn and I’m grateful for this band
@user-vx8sw7iu8v
Я думаю, что мы счастливые люди. Потому что до сих пор слушаем и балдеем от музыки, которая нас восхищала в юности.
@klausmetzger4663
A timeless Masterpiece...right??
@jerrybest3404
Manfred certainly covered a lot of ground between Do-wa-diddy and Circles. Either way, wonderfully outrageous. Yet Circles came to me at a time of great internal distress, and help me see the others like me. I chose to live. Even today,it remains one of my favorite songs. Thank you
@charlyb.9406
incredibly beautiful song even after so many years...
@alfalex38
"I'm a clown without a circus
There's no one to see my act
I can laugh and sing and stand on my head
Nobody knows where I'm at"
This is so deep!!
@looking4thepast09
At 62 I still feel the same as I did at 16, nothing really ever changes the lyrics still hit home maybe more then yesterday.
@georgemathie8123
This band is so much more than blinded by the light and with amazing songs like this one here led by in my opinion one of prog rocks most underrated talents the brilliant Chris Thompson and Manfred Mann with this line up made some amazing music together
@DerekArmsden
You know how songs can trigger memories? This song brings back so many for me. On a bus, off on a school trip interstate. Me acknowledged as the bus DJ. It's night, we're heading out of town at night towards the freeway. The lights go off. "OK Derek, hit it!" I start with this. Bliss.
@AllSpace
No doubt this Bands Album will just grow all the way up to the heavens above Love it to bits