In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Spinning out, gracefully, goin' nowhere, quickly
I am older, day by day
But still goin' back to my childhood way
Circuital, 'round and 'round, patiently
Getting lost by the guide
And I am all worked up over nothing
Circuits, all runnin' out
Connect my body deep into the ground
Circuit, connect the earth to the moon
And link our heavenly bodies not a moment too soon
Well you can fling open the windows or you can board 'em up
Satan's jeweled crown or Christ's humble cup
You think you'll find yourself out there out in the lion's den?
In some bloody battle over belief systems
Or disappear into the vacuum total neutrality
Where you can't lose nothin' but nothin' can be gained
Well any way you cut it we're just spinnin' 'round
Out on the circuit, over the hallowed ground
Out on the circuit, over the hallowed ground
Endin' up in the same place hat we started out
Right back in the same place that we started out
I am older, day by day
But still goin' back to my childhood way
Circuital, 'round and 'round, patiently
Getting lost by the guide
And I am all worked up over nothing
Circuits, all runnin' out
Connect my body deep into the ground
Circuit, connect the earth to the moon
And link our heavenly bodies not a moment too soon
Well you can fling open the windows or you can board 'em up
Satan's jeweled crown or Christ's humble cup
You think you'll find yourself out there out in the lion's den?
In some bloody battle over belief systems
Or disappear into the vacuum total neutrality
Where you can't lose nothin' but nothin' can be gained
Well any way you cut it we're just spinnin' 'round
Out on the circuit, over the hallowed ground
Out on the circuit, over the hallowed ground
Endin' up in the same place hat we started out
Right back in the same place that we started out
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I think it's "hallowed ground," not "hollow grounds," which sounds like a bad name for a coffee shop.
I am looking at the handwritten lyric sheets that came with my LP. Kashika was almost exactly correct with only a few changes. See below: <br /> <br /> Spinning out, gracefully<br /> Going nowhere, uh-quickly ("Uh" is used as a tool for inflection here)<br /> I'm older, day to day (Yim has written "day by day" but he definitely says day to day)<br /> Still going back to my childhood ways<br /> <br /> Circuitale<br /> Round and round patiently<br /> Getting lost by the guide<br /> And I'm all worked up over nothing<br /> <br /> Circuits<br /> All runnin out<br /> Connect my body<br /> Deep into the ground<br /> <br /> Circuits<br /> Connect the earth to the moon<br /> And link our heavenly bodies<br /> Uh-not a moment too soon ("Uh" is used as a tool for inflection here)<br /> <br /> Well you can fling open the windows<br /> Or you can board them up<br /> Satan's jeweled crown<br /> Or Christ's humble cup<br /> <br /> You think you'll find yourself out there<br /> Out in the lion's den<br /> In somebody's battle<br /> Over belief systems<br /> <br /> Or disappear into the vacuum<br /> Total neutrality<br /> The way you can't lose nothing<br /> But nothing can be gained<br /> <br /> Well anyway you cut it<br /> We're just spinning around<br /> Out on the circuit<br /> Over the hallowed ground<br /> Out on the circuit<br /> Over the hallowed ground<br /> Endin up in the same place<br /> That we started out<br /> Right back in the same place<br /> Right back in the same place<br /> That we started out
For me it's all about the sense people want usually give to their life. Actually we are spinning out, going nowhere, working up to nothing that can really matter or change the circuit of our leaving, because at the end of the day we are simply heading back to where we was born, our initial place. What is that place? Well everyone has his her anwer as everyone knows that place better than everyonelse. The circuit closes on itself, as always.
@u023025 I think you've got it summed up pretty well. You said, "at the end of the day we are simply heading back to where we were born..." Jim says, "I am older, day by day,<br /> Still going back to my childhood way." Basically the same thing. <br /> <br /> I just wanted to add something to your point. I saw MMJ for the 4th time back on August 10th in Birmingham, AL. (sorry, had to gloat for a sec) Anyway, they played Circuital that night, and when Jim sang the line, "Round and round patiently..." he started making big circles with his right arm, over and over, until it came time for him to play his acoustic guitar part. I thought that was pretty cool.
I think this is more accurate:
Spinning out, gracefully Going nowhere, quickly I am older, day by day Still going back to my childhood way
Circuital Round and round patiently Getting lost by the guide And I'm all worked up over nothing
Circuits All in and out Connect my body Deep into the ground
Circuits Connect the Earth to the moon And link our heavenly bodies Not a moment too soon
Well you can fling open the windows Or you can board them up Saints to a crown Or Christ’s humble cup
You think you'll find yourself out there Out in the lion’s den In somebody's battle Over belief systems
Or disappear into the vacuum Total neutrality Well you can't lose nothing But nothing can be gained
Well anyway you cut it We're just spinning around Out on the circuits Over the hollow grounds Out on the circuits Over the hollow grounds Heading right back in the same place That we started out Right back in the same place Right back in the same place That we starting out
You missed the "Let her know."
I think joeleft is spot on. Except for one line.
I'm hearing
"Satan's jeweled crown Or Christ's humble cup"
instead of saints to a crown
Thank you! That was the one line I couldn't get! I definetly heard "satan" and "crown" but I couldn't make out in between. I almost put "Satan's cool crowd" :P
f*cking LOVE this song
jim james never fails to impress. been dying for a new my morning jacket for far too long.
i love how he sometimes rushes a line in here. like in the second sentence. seems out of place but a tad funny.
Does anyone have a good interpretation of this song? It definitely has correlation to Victory Dance, due to the fact that Yames gave an interview saying that it was about laser eye surgery. I think Victory Dance is the before, and Circuital is the after. He once said that every day is a psychedelic opportunity that you can learn from. Perhaps this laser eye surgery is one of these opportunities. He learned how much he was fussing over nothing, and how inevitable life is. There is no stopping the cycle. This is the big picture, and i think the message is made clear that he is telling others to look at the cycle, or the big picture, rather then fuss over the little things.