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[Chorus]
This house is a circus, berserk as fuck
We tend to see that as a perk, though
Look what it's done to your friends; their memories are pretend
And the last thing they want is for the feeling to end
This house is a circus, berserk as fuck
We tend to see that as a perk, though
Look what it's done to your friends; their memories are pretend
And the last thing they want is for the feeling to end
Looking for trouble, and there's lovers to be had
Those ones next to us are such lovely lads
Scaling the corridors for maidens in the maze
And the anomaly is slipping into familiar ways
And we're forever unfulfilled
Can't think why
Like a search for murder clues
In dead man's eyes
Forever unfulfilled
And can't think why
Like a search for murder clues
In dead man's eyes
The more you open your mouth
The more you're forcing performance
All the attention is leading me to feel important (completely obnoxious)
Now that we're here, we may as well go too far
Wriggling around just so that you won't forget
There's certainly some venom in the looks that you collect
Aimlessly gazing at the blazers in the queue
Struggling with the notion that it's life, not film
[Chorus]
This house is a circus, berserk as fuck
We tend to see that as a perk, though
Look what it's done to your friends; their memories are pretend
And the last thing they want is for the feeling to end
This house is a circus, berserk as fuck
We tend to see that as a perk, though
Look what it's done to your friends; their memories are pretend
And the last thing they want is for the feeling to end
Looking for trouble, and there's lovers to be had
Those ones next to us are such lovely lads
Scaling the corridors for maidens in the maze
And the anomaly is slipping into familiar ways
And we're forever unfulfilled
Can't think why
Like a search for murder clues
In dead man's eyes
Forever unfulfilled
And can't think why
Like a search for murder clues
In dead man's eyes
The more you open your mouth
The more you're forcing performance
All the attention is leading me to feel important (completely obnoxious)
Now that we're here, we may as well go too far
Wriggling around just so that you won't forget
There's certainly some venom in the looks that you collect
Aimlessly gazing at the blazers in the queue
Struggling with the notion that it's life, not film
[Chorus]
Lyrics submitted by backlash_x
Track duration: 03:11
"This House Is a Circus" as written by Alex Turner
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Not
Those ones next to us are such lovely lads
In my opinion
MaxpowerandButterflies makes a lot of good points, from which I will further add this: it's about a moment of clarity in the middle of a hedonistic session (house or club), where "the voice" realises that what's going on around him is "crazy" or "wild", but not necessarily in the good way that people are talking about.
This explains the references to pretend memories (altered states), desire for feelings (drugs) not to end, people's performativity (acting up for an audience, either for sex or due to drugs), the search for sex, and the lack of fulfillment which follows over-indulgence.
But that's just my opinion.
The chorus does state that the story takes place inside a house where there are friends and girls. Usually this signifies a party. It's probably a place where this group of friends hangs out quite a bit and that it's probably a tight knit group who knows each other well because they've disclosed their memories.
It never says that these "friends" are using drugs. The feeling they are chasing could be from being around each other, thrills..., but it probably comes from all that as well as being full of yourself, getting laid, being expressive and all that good stuff that makes your brain go yayy at the party. However, I would say booze is very important in the setting because it talks about yourself starting to feel important(probably letting go of anxiety and booze is an antianxiety drug). However, you can argue that by saying that anxiety is present because of the line "the more you open your mouth the more you are forcing performance". Last line shows an important lesson by saying that the friends don't want "the last thing that they want is for the feeling to end"; They either have addictions or a harder time getting through life without alcohol or the drugs.
There's a room for the trouble(sex) and there's lovers to be had(one night stand couple)
Those walls(being in the house) will make sinners(sexual predators, drunkards...) out of such lovely lads(good on weekdays or whenever)
Scaling the corridors(you could say scaling as measuring the sexiness of women or if you continue the allusion to sinners and religion, then this could be symbolic for the scales on the snake/devil/whatchamacallit and then you could say that the snake would be an allusion to a penis and the corridors would be the vaginas. Then this could be another allusion which you could say refers to social situations that would make you take choices through the corridors that could lead you to many ends or circles or whatever, just like a maze. That way you would be gauging if the girl is in your league)
And in the anomaly you'll slip into familiar way: it's what happens when your doing crazy shit with friends. The unusual for most people becomes the usual for you. The friends in the story seem to like the craziness(circus) inside the house to be a good thing(perk).
The more you open your mouth the more you're forcing performance
And all the attention is leading me to feel important -completely obnoxious- (If you just take it in literally, then it could be someone who tries to monopolize the social situation first by thinking that another person is forcing whatever they say and not doing it in a cool enough manner. So he starts looking down on him. Then, in the next stanza he gets on his own high horse and grabs all the attention. Perhaps they are talking about how they you someone who doesn't feel too comfortable talking but does it anyway and is obnoxious regardless of what his standing is in the party. I think that the fact that in the first stanza he talks about someone else and then in the next one he talks about himself so therefore, you might be one guy for a while and the other soon after. Or maybe this song is written with so many possible interpretations so that no matter what place you are at in a party, you can relate to it. This could be where the line "their memories are pretend" comes into play. Meaning that the person is in denial and his memories of being awesome are actually delusional. Most likely though, I think it's about just trying to let go of rules and becoming emotional. Usually, you go too far when your emotions are in control and not your intellect: Now that we're here we may as well go too far
Therefore, it's just more likely that the drug being used is alcohol because that's exactly how it works from my understanding of it.
Wriggling around in incidents you wont forget(doing stupid shit. The fact that they mention that you won't forget stupid shit means that there is a lot that you probably will forget. AKA, blackouts. Or it could be just the really crazy shit you do that you won't forget cuz it's that crazy)
And there's certainly some venom in the looks that you collect(probably annoyance, So, your probably the obnoxious one at this point in time and getting the stink eye or some other sharp look that tells you you're a fool. Perhaps it's another allusion to another serpent. From a chicks point of view, it would be a male looking to score.)
Aimlessly gazing at the faces in the queue(I think it's more likely that at this point in the party you have multiple people at the party who really wouldn't mind giving you an annoyed glare. It could on the other hand be glamorous looks. Ones that say "let's go fuck," or "dude, your awesome")
And we're struggling with the notion that it's life not film(it seems surreal. Once again, this could be in a good way or a bad way)
Forever unfulfilled(keep coming back to the same old thing)
And can't think why(even if it's irrational)
Like a seach for murder clues
In dead men's eyes(Basically, we're looking to increase our self esteem, self worth, happiness, ego, or whatever I called it in the wrong place. You can't really find real murder clues in a dead mans eyes just how almost nothing good and moral is going to come out of the party.)
Wow, can't believe I am such a loser for writing this whole damn thing. Anyways, please do send me comments and what you think about this. In fact, I'll give my email address out for anyone who would like to discuss this song further. rstanczy4799@oakton.edu.
"Wriggling around in incidents you wont forget [sex with all the girls]
And there's certainly some venom in the looks that you collect [jealous guys]"
Hmmm.
but yeah, basically a warning
because, the house is a circus, really beserk and crazy
and we tend to see that as a good thing, but look at what its done to your friends, well, you know what happens to people when they get involved with drugs
their memories are pretend, they're always on a high
last thing that they want if for the feeling to end, they want to stay in this state of happiness and surrealness
welllllll good song :)
Of course all the guys are trying to find a girl for the night, and get lucky.
I like the line "What it's done to your friends
Their memories are pretend
And the last thing that they want is for the feeling to end" Memories being pretend meaning they won't remember anything because of intoxication.
I get the feeling that the whole "Wriggling around in incidents you wont forget And there's certainly some venom in the looks that you collect Aimlessly gazing at the faces in the queue
And we're struggling with the notion that it's life not film" has something to do with the idea of sex.
maybe even being walked in on? or seen by other people? which leads to the venomous looks they receive