Interpretations:Quit The Circus

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Brontosaurus Sequel?

The lyrics of Brontosaurus say "Life was devoid of purpose/And so I joined the circus," while Quit the Circus (this song) states "Seeking a purpose/Stuck in the circus" so this song could be a further elaboration on the themes of Brontosaurus. Signed, DonutEater (talk) 10:44, 27 February 2022 (EST)

Building Upon "Brontosaurus Sequel"

I immediately thought of this as a writers block sort of song. I don't mean to say the lyrics are lazy, I just mean that it's sounds like it's about writer's block or the feeling that you'll never get anywhere in the music industry. The whole record BOOK kinda gives me that vibe, kinda like getting stuck in a place where it feels like keeping at your ambitions seems useless. And it makes sense because the bulk of the album was written during COVID. In Brontosaurus, there's the lyric "Life was devoid of purpose/And so I joined the circus," but once he's joined the circus, he finds that people find it easy to ignore him. He puts himself on this pedestal, seeing himself as a unique creature. He wants people to hear him out, but everyone thinks he's old news by this point. And here we get to the point when he wants to Quit The Circus. There seem to be a lot of lyrics of self-deprecation in this song: i.e. "Now I make as much sense / As the car on the lawn / Sinking real low / Until it is gone", and "We're as much use / As the rotary phone / We keep on the floor / To prop the door closed". Now that he's seen a life as an artist, he's beating himself up about it cause he thinks that it was a mistake to ever try it in the first place. I had one more profound thought to put here, but I forgot what it was. I'll just say that the horns in this song are good. - User:Imallyoucanthinkof

'Briikant song, brilliant album, full of introspection and commentary on aging....

I'm in the same age range as the John's, and I make note of the fact that John Linnell was on the verge of 60 when 'Book' was being produced. I observe in myself, that even in the midst of a happy, fulfilling and creative life, one still struggles with 'that old ghost, the one I fear the most of the time'. As a sensitive creative that other people seem to depend on for inspiration, the temptation to 'quit the circus' in order to have more time for one's own needs can be an incredibly strong driver. It appears to me from his catalog of songs that John Linnell has spent much of his life 'seeking a purpose' and trying to extract meaning (squeeze juice) from human existence. And yes, there are days that I question my own existence, feeling that perhaps I too 'make as much sense as a car in the lawn, sinking real low until it is gone.' At 60, the awareness that you have lived more than half your life (even under the best projections of lifespan) can be a little astonishing, especially if the will to live is a strong driving force. I love so many of the comments about being old and out of date, the 'rotary phone bit,' the part about 'all our descendants finish the sentence,' referring to how it will be the same for our children as they age as it is for us. I agree that this song has similar themes as 'Brontosaurus', but then I feel the whole album has these themes.... The experience of aging as an intensely creative, introspective, questioning, human observer of the inner and outer oddities and intricacies of life as a conscious being is an intense one... But then again, life in general is pretty intense if you are paying attention to how it feels to truly be alive, so there you have it. These guys are truly great, modernist, American composers for our times, and perhaps for all time. Thank you, 'the Johns' for being a continued source of inspiration. May you live your best life for as long as it lasts. Jaybird (talk) 07:16, 4 May 2024 (EDT)