Wild Billy's Circus Story

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Track 4 of The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle, 1973.

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Performances
Released on Album
Released as Live Download
On The Tracks
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The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle (1973)
- Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar, harmonica, mandolin
- Danny Federici: accordion
- Vini Lopez: drums
- Garry Tallent: tuba

^{Performed live 42 times.}

2014-02-26 Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
2013-07-28 Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, Ireland
2009-11-07 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
2009-09-25 Apollo Theater, New York City, NY
2008-04-27 Charlotte Bobcats Arena, Charlotte, NC
2005-10-15 Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Madison, WI
2005-08-10 Theater Of The Clouds, Portland, OR
2005-08-06 Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO
2005-07-26 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
2005-07-24 Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
2005-07-14 Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
2005-06-22 Forum København, Copenhagen, Denmark
2004-12-19 Harry's Roadhouse, Asbury Park, NJ (Early)
2001-12-04 Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ
1996-11-26 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ
1996-11-25 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ
1996-11-24 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ
1990-11-16 Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA
1974-04-19 State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ
1974-04-09 WBCN Studio, Boston, MA
1974-03-24 Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, AZ
1974-03-10 Liberty Hall, Houston, TX (Early)
1974-03-09 Liberty Hall, Houston, TX (Late)
1974-03-09 KLOL Studio, Houston, TX
1974-03-03 Gaston Hall, Washington, DC (Late)
1974-03-03 Gaston Hall, Washington, DC (Early)
1974-02-25 Main Point (The), Bryn Mawr, PA
1974-01-26 Chrysler Hall, Norfolk, VA
1973-07-19 Max's Kansas City, New York City, NY (Early)
1973-07-18 Max's Kansas City, New York City, NY (Late)
1973-07-18 Max's Kansas City, New York City, NY (Early)
1973-06-02 Radio Studio WHFS-FM, Bethesda, MD
1973-05-31 Alpha Sound Studios, Richmond, VA
1973-05-01 Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
1973-04-24 Main Point (The), Bryn Mawr, PA (Early)
1973-03-02 Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA
1973-01-31 Max's Kansas City, New York City, NY (Early)
1973-01-10 Paul's Mall, Boston, MA (Late)
1973-01-10 Paul's Mall, Boston, MA (Early)
1973-01-09 WBCN Studio, Boston, MA
1972-12-07 Kenny's Castaways, New York City, NY (Early)
1972-09-04 Bitter End (The), New York City, NY

A live version is released on the 1973 Playback US-only various artists promotional EP (as "Circus Song").

Live versions are available on the following official live downloads:

2014-02-26 Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
1990-11-16 Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA

CIRCUS TOWN - V1		uncirculating
CIRCUS SONG - V2		uncirculating
WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY - V3		uncirculating
WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY - V4	4:38	WIESS

Note: Written in mid-1972 as "Circus Town", and performed live as an acoustic show opener, from late 1972 (by which time it was being called "Circus Song"), up until mid-1974. First studio recordings V2 were made May 14, 1973 at 914 Sound Studios, with 8 takes under the name, "Circus Song"; it is not known if any of these survived. An almost perfect recording of "Circus Song" was recorded live on May 31, 1973 at WGOE Radio Alpha Studios, Richmond, Virginia. It's available on Über Series Vol 22. Bruce had previously written an altered ending, with enhanced negative emotional imagery, and no matter how many takes, it kept coming out bad (perhaps because it was). By the time additional takes were undertaken V3 on June 25, 26 and 28, those lines were gone, as Bruce played the Circus Boss now, leaning over and whispering in some little boy's ear, "Hey son, you wanna join the bigtop? All aboard, Nebraska's our next stop!". V4, the album take, of "Wild Billy's Circus Story", went in the can June 26 or 28.

^{Studio Sessions: The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle}

Wild Billy's Circus Story

A-one, two, three, four

The machinist climbs his Ferris wheel like a brave
And the fire eater's lyin' in a pool of sweat, victim of the heat wave
Behind the tent, the hired hand tightens his legs on the sword swallower's blade
And circus town's on the shortwave

Well, the runway lies ahead like a great false dawn
Whoa, Fat Lady, Big Mama, Missy Bimbo sits in her chair and yawns
And the man-beast lies in his cage sniffing popcorn
Yeah, the midget licks his fingers and suffers Missy Bimbo's scorn
The circus town's been born

Whoa, and a press roll, drummer go, ballerina to-and-fro
Cartwheelin' up on that tightrope with a cannon blast, lightin' flash
Movin' fast, through the tent, Mars bent, he's gonna miss his fall
Oh, God save the human cannonball
And the flying Zambinis watch Margarita do her neck twist
And the ringmaster gets the crowd to count along: "Ninety-five, ninety-six, ninety-seven"
A ragged suitcase in his hand, he steals silently away from the circus grounds
And the highway's haunted by the carnival sounds
They dance like a great greasepaint ghost on the wind
A man in baggy pants, a lonely face, a crazy grin
Runnin' home to some small Ohio town
Jesus, send some good women to save all your clowns

And circus boy dances like a monkey on barbed wire
And the barker romances with a junkie, she's got a flat tire
And now the elephants dance real funky, and the band play like a jungle fire
Circus town's on the live wire
And the strong man, Sampson, lifts the midget, little Tiny Tim, way up on his shoulders, way up
And carries him on down the midway
Past the kids, past the sailors, to his dimly lit trailer
And the Ferris wheel turns and turns like it ain't ever gonna stop
And the circus boss leans over, whispers in the little boy's ear, "Hey son, you wanna try the big top?"
All aboard, Nebraska's our next stop

^{Visit SpringsteenLyrics.com for other versions of this song.}