Tip the Van was an American rock/ska band that formed in Marlborough, Conne… Read Full Bio ↴Tip the Van was an American rock/ska band that formed in Marlborough, Connecticut in 2002, and disbanded in 2011. Members were Nicole Oliva (vocals), Simone Oliva (vocals), Stephanie Allen (trombone/keyboard), Brian Dunnigan (lead guitar), Bryan Howard (bass), and Bryan Briggs (drums). The group released their first studio album, Circles, in 2004, a promotional EP for Warped Tour, Manners Matter, in 2005, their first full-length album, Something Wicked, in 2006, and a three-track EP, Passion, Love & Pride, in 2009.

www.tipthevan.com

Circles
Tip the Van Lyrics

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I close my eyes to go to sleep
Intoxicating melodies are taking me
Over before it's that time
I feel my heart begin to race, trying to move to second place
The music gets louder, it wraps itself around

I try to move but I can't get free
Of this music, this melody

I try to move but I can't get free
Of this music, It's killing me

I close my eyes to go to sleep
Intoxicating melodies are taking me
Over before it's that time
I'm waiting to get awake to I realize all of this is fake
I'm hoping that reason will wake me up because

I try to move but I can't get free
Of this music, this melody
I try to move but I can't get free
Of this music, It's killing me

Maybe someday I can get free
Of this melody
That wraps itself round my legs
I can't move
What do I have to do to stop it from chasing me in circles

I try to move but I can't get free
Of this music, this melody
I try to move but I can't get free
Of this music, It's killing me

Maybe someday I can get free
Of this melody
That wraps itself round my legs
I can't move
What do I have to do to stop it from chasing me in circles
In circles

Circles [6x]

Maybe someday I can get free
Of this melody
That wraps itself round my legs
I can't move

What do I have to do to stop it from chasing me in circles
In circles

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Circles" by Tip the Van explores the idea of being trapped in a cycle or pattern, unable to break free from the constant repetition of life. The opening lines set the tone of the song, as the singer tries to escape into sleep but is haunted by the melodies that continue to play in their mind, seemingly getting louder and louder until they can't escape. The repetition of the chorus, "I try to move but I can't get free of this music, this melody, it's killing me," reinforces the idea of being stuck in a cycle and feeling helpless to get out of it.

The second verse adds a new layer to the song, as the singer questions the reality of their situation and hopes for a way out. They express the desire to be free from the melodies that hold them back and allow them to move forward. The lines, "Maybe someday I can get free of this melody that wraps itself round my legs, I can't move, what do I have to do to stop it from chasing me in circles," capture the frustration of feeling stuck and the desperate need to break free.

Overall, "Circles" is a powerful and captivating song that explores complex themes of stagnation, repetition, and the human desire for freedom and change.

Line by Line Meaning

I close my eyes to go to sleep
I try to escape from reality by sleeping and entering the world of dreams.

Intoxicating melodies are taking me
Melodies that have an overwhelming effect on me are taking over my mind and putting me in a trance.

Over before it's that time
I'm losing track of time because of the music and it's intoxicating effect.

I feel my heart begin to race, trying to move to second place
The music is causing my heart to race, and I'm trying to resist the urge to surrender to the music completely.

The music gets louder, it wraps itself around
The music is getting louder and more intense, and it has complete control over me.

I try to move but I can't get free Of this music, this melody
I'm trying to break free from the grip of the music, but it's impossible to escape its hold upon me.

It's killing me
The music is having a detrimental effect on me, and it's destroying me from within.

I'm waiting to get awake to I realize all of this is fake
I'm waiting to wake up and recognize that this trance-like state is an illusion.

I'm hoping that reason will wake me up because
I'm hoping that my rational mind will help me snap out of this state and overcome the music'S control.

Maybe someday I can get free Of this melody
I hope that someday I will be able to break free from this melody's hold over me.

That wraps itself round my legs I can't move
The melody is wrapped so tightly around me that I am powerless to escape or even move.

What do I have to do to stop it from chasing me in circles
I don't know what steps to take to end the cycle of the music's control over me.

Circles [6x]
The repetitiveness of the song's lyrics mirrors the cyclical nature of the music's hold over the singer.

Contributed by Claire E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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