WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY

Live 09 Mar 1974 (KLOL-FM) version

[Spoken intro:]
[Bruce Springsteen:] All right, let's do, um... Let's see.. Let's do, uh...
[Radio host:] Do The Journey.
[Bruce Springsteen:] The Journey? (laughs) Let's do, uh, Circus Song! Step right up. You don't play in this one, huh? Step right up. She walks, she talks... little! (laughs) You ready fellows? Okay. This is featuring Garry Tallent.
[Garry Tallent:] Uh oh!
[Bruce Springsteen:] (laughs)
[Garry Tallent:] On the spot!
[Bruce Springsteen:] Better not blow your part!
[Garry Tallent:] On the spot!
[Bruce Springsteen:] Blow your part on the tuba and you've had it, you know, out there in radio land, because it's comes out, it's... Give 'em a little example.
[Garry blows the tuba]
[Bruce Springsteen:] You know, and it doesn't sound good. (chuckles) Right, all right.

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 [sniffs]
Yeah, the midget licks his fingers and suffers Missy Bimbo's scorn
And 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
The ringmaster gets the crowd to count along: "Ninety-five, ninety-six, ninety-seven"
A ragged suitcase in his hand, stealing silently away from the circus grounds
Oh, the highway's haunted by them carnival sounds
They dance like a great greasepaint ghost on the wind
The man in baggy pants, a lonely face, a crazy grin
He's runnin' back home to a small Ohio town
Jesus, send some good women to save all your clowns

And circus boy dances like a monkey on barbed wire
And now the barker romances with a junkie, she's got a flat tire
Oh, and the elephants dance real funky, and the band plays 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 off down the midway
Past the kids and past the sailors, into his dimly lit trailer
The Ferris wheel turns and turns like it ain't ever gonna stop
And the circus boss leans over and whispers into this little boy's ear, he says, "Hey son, you wanna try the big top?"
All aboard, Nebraska's our next stop
All aboard!

[Spoken outro:] Yeah!

Info

The above lyrics are for the live 09 Mar 1974 radio performance of WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY as broadcast on Houston's KLOL-FM. The song was played in acoustic version, with Bruce Springsteen on guitar, Danny Federici on accordion, and Garry Tallent on tuba.

The 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM Radio Performance

Bruce Springsteen's 09 Mar 1974 radio performance was broadcast live on Houston's KLOL-FM. The show took place on the afternoon of 09 Mar 1974 at the radio station in Houston, TX. This was lengthiest of all Springsteen radio station performances. The complete performance was recorded off the airwaves and has since circulated among fans.

The 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast was commercially released in Europe. Since 2005 some enterprising record labels in Europe (mostly in the UK) have been releasing Bruce Springsteen radio and TV broadcasts (and some soundboard recordings) from the seventies, eighties, and nineties. Though these releases are not authorized by Bruce Springsteen or his record company, they are lawful due to a legal loophole in Europe.

Bruce Springsteen -- On The Crest Of The Airwaves

Digital album - Rock Melon (no catalog number) - UK, 2014

This is a download-only digital album. It contains the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast, the 05 Feb 1975 broadcast from The Main Point, and various TV appearances from the nineties.

Bruce Springsteen -- Live Sessions: Houston Boston Richmond

Digital album - Wyte Myce (no catalog number) - UK, 2015

This is a download-only digital album. It contains the 31 May 1973 WGOE-FM radio broadcast, part of the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast, and the 09 Apr 1974 WBCN-FM radio broadcast.

Bruce Springsteen -- Sentimental Journey

CD - Broadcasting Radio Records (BRR5032) - UK, 2015

This release contains the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast, plus three bonus tracks.

Bruce Springsteen -- Sentimental Journey

LP - Broadcasting Radio Records (BRR4032) - UK, 2015

This release contains the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast, plus three bonus tracks.

Bruce Springsteen -- Live In Studio 1974 + Bonus 1973

LP - DOL (DOR2109H) - Russia, 2016

This release contains the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast and part of the 09 Jan 1973 WBCN-FM radio broadcast.

Bruce Springsteen -- Acoustic Radio Broadcast Collection

2xCD - The Broadcast Archive (BSCD6047) - UK, 2017

This release contains the 09 Jan 1973 WBCN-FM radio broadcast, the 31 May 1973 WGOE-FM radio broadcast, the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast, and the 09 Apr 1974 WBCN-FM radio broadcast. This is a repackaging of Good Ship Funke's Acoustic Radio 1973 and Acoustic Radio 1974.

Bruce Springsteen -- Acoustic Radio 1974

CD - Good Ship Funke (GS024) - UK, 2017

This release contains the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast and the 09 Apr 1974 WBCN-FM radio broadcast. It was also released on CD exclusively as part of the Acoustic Radio Broadcast Collection package.

Bruce Springsteen -- Live In Studio 1973-1974

LP - BRR (BRR4035LPP) - Europe, 2017

This release contains the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast and part of the 09 Jan 1973 WBCN-FM radio broadcast.

Bruce Springsteen -- Live Houston '74

CD - Rox Vox (RVCD2107) - UK, 2018

This release contains the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast.

Bruce Springsteen -- The 1974 Acoustic Radio Sessions

2xLP - Big Car (unknown catalog number) - UK, 2018

This release contains the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast and the 09 Apr 1974 WBCN-FM radio broadcast.

Bruce Springsteen -- The Great American Road Trip

10xCD - Evolution Music (EMG01) - UK, 2020

This release contains the 31 Jul 1973 broadcast from My Father's Place, the 03 Mar 1974 late show broadcast from Georgetown University, the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast, the 05 Feb 1975 broadcast from The Main Point, the 30 Sep 1978 broadcast from Fox Theatre, plus some various TV performances from 1992-1995.

Bruce Springsteen -- Thunder Road - Live

20xCD - KP Music (SPRING01) - Europe, 2020

This release contains the 31 Jul 1973 broadcast from My Father's Place, the 03 Mar 1974 late show broadcast from Georgetown University, the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast, the 05 Feb 1975 broadcast from The Main Point, the 15 Aug 1975 early show broadcast from Bottom Line, the 17 Oct 1975 early show broadcast from The Roxy Theatre, the 09 Aug 1978 broadcast from The Agora, the 30 Sep 1978 broadcast from Fox Theatre, the 05 Jun 1992 broadcast from Hollywood, the 20 Aug 1994 show with Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers at Marz American Style, plus some various TV performances from 1992-1995.

Credits

Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.

Available Versions

List of available versions of WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY on this website:

Page last updated: 06 Jan 2012