☝️ Key Points
- The song lyrics tell the day when the circus came to town and people gathered to see the spectacle.
- It describes how people laughed or didn't laugh as dogs mated and how the town was filled with people.
- There is a deeper meaning that suggests it's difficult to distinguish between similar things and that the 'oneness of spirit' is a crime.
- The text ends by saying that the singer is always ready to change his mind and leave the circus or join it.
Interpretation
The lyrics of the song "The Day the Circus Came to Town" by
Momus tell the day when the circus came to town. People gathered along the streets of Leith to witness the spectacle. It was a special day, with a light atmosphere and fog on higher ground.
The lyrics describe how people laughed or didn't laugh when a couple of dogs mated. It is also mentioned how the department stores were crowded and the city was filled with people. There were ten years in a decade and a hundred pennies in a pound.
There is also mention of an orchestra parading in women's dresses and being applauded or not applauded by the people. It seems that there was a lot of excitement in the city that day and everyone came together to enjoy the spectacle.
The lyrics also have a deeper meaning. It is about the difficulty of distinguishing between two similar things, but there is only room for one of them in the heart. It is said that the "oneness of spirit" is a crime and that the singer is ready to enter or leave the circus at any time.
At the end of the lyrics, there is talk of a party and a funeral, and how a mistake with a match caused everyone to be burned six feet underground. There is also mention of a spirit named Deacon Brodie who saws a corpse in two parts.
The lyrics end by saying that the singer is always ready to change his mind and leave the circus or join it. It is emphasized that the "oneness of spirit" is a crime and that the singer is always ready to change his position.
Overall, the lyrics of the song are about the excitement and spectacle that the circus brings to town, and the difficulty of distinguishing between similar things and making a clear decision.