Charles Ives - The Circus Band

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All summer long, we boys
Dreamed 'bout big circus joys!
Down Main street, comes the band
Oh! "Ain't it a grand and glorious noise!"

Horses are prancing, knights advancing;
Helmets gleaming, pennants streaming
Cleopatra's on her throne!
That golden hair is all her own

Where is the lady all in pink?
Last year she waved to me I think
Can she have died? Can! that! rot!
She is passing but she sees me not

Release Date: January 01, 1922

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Charles Ives

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The meaning of the song

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"The Circus Band" by Charles Ives captures the excitement and nostalgia of a small town circus parade. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the scene, with boys eagerly anticipating the arrival of the band and the spectacle of the circus passing through town. The music itself is lively and energetic, with the sounds of horses prancing, knights advancing, and Cleopatra on her throne. The song also touches on the fleeting nature of youth and the passing of time, as the narrator wonders about a lady in pink who may have passed away. Overall, "The Circus Band" is a whimsical and poignant tribute to the magic and wonder of the circus experience.

Biography

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Arguably the first modernist composer, Charles Ives (1874-1954) was a solitary figure who composed in obscurity for most of his life. The son of a U.S. Army bandleader, Ives enjoyed a wildly successful career as an insurance executive. In his spare time, he composed music in a wide variety of genres that combined popular song, church hymns, military marches, and European art music in ways that used tone clusters, polytonality, and other techniques decades before they were adopted by European composers.