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about

I've been to several writing workshops with John Gorka, Eliza Gilkyson, and Don Richmond and 20 or so other songwriters. Circus arose from a song prompt to write about the last day of your life. The accordion track by the marvelous Michael Ward-Bergeman really makes this track special! There's a video for this one that pays tribute to the departed musicians of Gainesville, Florida, home to nine members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and lots more really artists and writers. www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvMTBgiwlz8

lyrics

My Last Day at the Circus

Can’t remember the day when the circus arrived
Feels like it’s always been here
With its three rings of action, sideshows, and attractions
Filled me with wonder and fear

I remember the way the carnies would say,
“Hey kid! Feelin’ lucky today?”
And I laughed at the clowns and their hopeless hijinks
Grownups who knew how to play

On my last day at the circus
The carnies converged in parade
The trapeze didn’t fly, the whole troupe passed by
Swallowing swords, spinning plates

On my last day at the circus
The barkers’ extravagant claims
Rattled the cages of all the big cats
Lions and tigers to tame

There were puppets and pipers and misfits galore
Contortionists tryin’ to fit in
The penultimate prance down the midway before
The ultimate strange trip begins

This time the mimes escaped their own prisons
Walls they had conjured by hand
And the cannonball guy shot off to the sky
Not quite sure where he’d land

On my last day at the circus
The calliope played one last tune
And I walked away, though I wanted to stay
Each moment passing too soon

On my last day at the circus
The elephants pulled up their stakes
Twelve clowns climbed in an impossible car
And honked as they made their escape

credits

from Mixing Metaphors, track released March 1, 2022
See album notes

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about

Bob McPeek image

Bob McPeek Gainesville, Florida

The founder of Mirror Image Studios in Gainesville, Florida, Bob McPeek has produced, engineered, and/or played on at least 10,000 songs for artists as diverse as Bo Diddley, River Phoenix, and Less Than Jake.

Mixing Metaphors is his first solo album of original material, showcasing the considerable songwriting, performing, and producing skills applied for his own material at long last. ... more

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