Hype-THE BEST NEW NAMES, FIRST

Upset-DORK'S HOME FOR ALL THINGS LOUD

Festival Guides-YOUR ESSENTIAL FESTIVAL COMPANION

Hype-THE BEST NEW NAMES, FIRST

Mixtape-DORK'S BEST NEW TRACKS

Play-DORK'S NEW MUSIC FRIDAY EDIT

Upset-DORK'S HOME FOR ALL THINGS LOUD

Playlist Covers

Playlist Directory

Before Doors-LIVE SESSIONS

Music Video Directory

Down With Boring-THE DORK PODCAST

Chart Attack-UK NUMBER ONES, DISSECTED

Dork Radio

Live

Live 24/7

Dork Radio

Down With Boring

Join thousands of music lovers getting the best new tracks, exclusive interviews, and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox every week.

In print now

June 2026

Latest issue variants

Dork, June 2026 (Bleachers cover)

Bleachers

Dork, June 2026 (Myles Smith cover)

Myles Smith

Dork, June 2026 (Towa Bird cover)

Towa Bird

|

Privacy Policy|

Cookie settings

© 2026 The Bunker Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

John Cale – Circus (1996) | Track profile | Dork

Tracks
John Cale
Walking on Locusts
Circus

TRACK

Circus

Release date: 24th September 1996

From Walking on Locusts

More on John Cale

About This Track

"Circus" is a track by John Cale, from the album Walking on Locusts, released 24th September 1996. Full lyrics are available below. Dork has published 1 article about John Cale.

About the Artist

John Cale

John Cale

Lyrics

Circus

[Verse 1]

Animals in cages

People stand and stare

Outside looking in

Confidentially, it's gotten worse

Inside this cage the pacing's gotten worse

[Verse 2]

The lion tamer's art

Whip against the will

Has shattered the calm

A broken mind and body in the dark

[Verse 3]

The beauty on the trapeze

She stayed quiet above it all

Her lover on the floor

Had been there once or twice before

[Bridge]

[?spoken French]

[Verse 4]

The robot decides

I think we found the perfect replacement this time

The leading role in this pantomime

Lyrics provided by LRCLIB

View full lyrics page →

Track details

From Walking on Locusts

1996

Listen

Album

Walking on Locusts

Release year

1996

—Gatorville & Points East
—Entre Nous
—Some Friends
—Set Me Free
—Secret Corrida
—Crazy Egypt
—Dancing Undercover
—Tell Me Why
—Circus
—Indistinct Notion of Cool
—So What
—So Much for Love

More from John Cale

Albums & EPs

POPtical Illusion

POPtical Illusion

Mercy

Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood

Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood

Extra Playful: Transitions

Extra Playful

EP: Extra Playful

Live At Rockpalast (Live at Zeche Bochum 06.03.1983 & at Grugahalle Essen 13./14.10.1984)

Live At Rockpalast (Live at Zeche Bochum 06.03.1983 & at Grugahalle Essen 13./14.10.1984)

Circus Live

Black Acetate

Explore

More tracks by John Cale

Standing Next to You

The Adventures of SupaCane

God Made Me Do It (Don’t Ask Me Again)POPtical Illusion

Edge of ReasonPOPtical Illusion

I'm AngryPOPtical Illusion

God Made Me Do It (Don't Ask Me Again)POPtical Illusion

Shark - SharkPOPtical Illusion

All to the GoodPOPtical Illusion

Davies and WalesPOPtical Illusion

How We See the LightPOPtical Illusion

Company CommanderPOPtical Illusion

Setting FiresPOPtical Illusion

Laughing in My SleepPOPtical Illusion

Calling You OutPOPtical Illusion

Funkball the BrewsterPOPtical Illusion

There Will Be No RiverPOPtical Illusion

TIME STANDS STILL (feat. Sylvan Esso)Mercy

EVERLASTING DAYS (feat. Animal Collective)Mercy

I KNOW YOU'RE HAPPY (feat Tei Shi)Mercy

THE LEGAL STATUS OF ICE (feat. The Fat White Family)Mercy

MARILYN MONROE'S LEGS (Beauty Elsewhere) [feat. Actress]Mercy

STORY OF BLOOD (feat. Weyes Blood)Mercy

MERCY (feat. Laurel Halo)Mercy

MARILYN MONROE'S LEGS (Beauty Elsewhere)Mercy

NIGHT CRAWLINGMercy

NOISE OF YOUMercy

I KNOW YOU'RE HAPPYMercy

THE LEGAL STATUS OF ICEMercy

NOT THE END OF THE WORLDMercy

TIME STANDS STILLMercy

EVERLASTING DAYSMercy

OUT YOUR WINDOWMercy

MOONSTRUCK (Nico's Song)Mercy

Corner of My Sky

Sanctus (Sanities) [Music For a New Society]Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Damn Life (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Changes Made (Music For a New Society)

Thoughtless Kind (Outtakes) [Music For a New Society]Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Broken Bird (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Risé, Sam and Rimsky Korsakov (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Close Watch (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Thoughtless Kind (Music For a New Society)

Thoughtless Kind (M:FANS]

If You Were Still Around (M:FANS)

View all tracks by John Cale →

Broken Bird (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS
4:46
Close Watch (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS
3:07
Damn Life (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS
5:14
MOONSTRUCK (Nico's Song)Mercy
5:31
NIGHT CRAWLINGMercy
4:54
NOISE OF YOUMercy
5:16
NOT THE END OF THE WORLDMercy
6:17
OUT YOUR WINDOWMercy
5:14
Risé, Sam and Rimsky Korsakov (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS
2:23
Sanctus (Sanities) [Music For a New Society]Music for a New Society/M:FANS
6:07

Showing 10 of 50

If you like John Cale

Lou Reed & John Cale

Lou Reed & John Cale

Lou Reed

Lou Reed

Brian Eno & John Cale

Nico

Nico

John Cale & Terry Riley

The Velvet Underground

The Velvet Underground

Scott Walker

Scott Walker

Robert Wyatt

The Modern Lovers

The Modern Lovers

Brian Eno

Brian Eno

READ MORE ABOUT JOHN CALE

READ MORE ABOUT JOHN CALE

READ MORE ABOUT JOHN CALE

READ MORE ABOUT JOHN CALE

READ MORE ABOUT JOHN CALE

READ MORE ABOUT JOHN CALE

READ MORE ABOUT JOHN CALE

READ MORE ABOUT JOHN CALE

Charli XCX has collaborated with John Cale on new track 'House' for the 'Wuthering Heights' soundtrack - and there's an entire album coming

Charli XCX has collaborated with John Cale on new track 'House' for the 'Wuthering Heights' soundtrack - and there's an entire album coming

It's part of a whole album set for release in early December.

7 Nov 2025 • 11:18 am