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Carnival Of Sorts (Boxcars) Lyrics
There's a secret stigma, reaping wheel.
Diminish, a carnival of sorts.
Chronic town, poster torn, reaping wheel.
Stranger, stranger to these parts.
Gentlemen don't get caught, cages under cage. Gentlemen don't get caught,
Boxcars (are pulling) out of town. Boxcars (are pulling) out of town.
Boxcars (are pulling) out of town.
(repeat 1st verse and chorus)
Cages under, cages under, cages under cage.
Cages under, cages under, cages under cage.
(repeat chorus)
There's a secret stigma, reaping wheel.
Stranger, stranger to these parts.
Chronic town, poster torn, reaping wheel.
Diminish, stranger.
(repeat chorus)
Diminish, a carnival of sorts.
Chronic town, poster torn, reaping wheel.
Stranger, stranger to these parts.
Boxcars (are pulling) out of town. Boxcars (are pulling) out of town.
Boxcars (are pulling) out of town.
Cages under, cages under, cages under cage.
Stranger, stranger to these parts.
Chronic town, poster torn, reaping wheel.
Diminish, stranger.
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Ok, my take on this one is different from all of those, and it seems kind of bizarre, but it works for me. First of all, is it really "reaping wheel", and not "repeat reel"?
I think it's about a movie place, a dirty movie place. It's out of town, because "gentlemen don't get caught". You're going somewhere you won't get caught. "Cages under a cage" are viewing rooms within the larger building, little booths where you go in and view a "repeat reel". I mean, this isn't high-budget 70's stuff, I'm thinking the early days, when they were called "blue movies", and I imagine like a 5 minute clip, that's on loop.
"Secret stigma" is obvious, "poster torn" is just because the place is cheap and shoddy. "Stranger to these parts" is because the place is just in town for a while, and then moves on.
When it moves, we get to: "Boxcar is pulling a carnival of sorts out of town". The idea is that sometimes, the train brings in a carnival, and takes it away two weeks later. The singer wryly notes as the porn shop gets packed up and moved on, that it too is a carnival, of sorts.
I have no idea why he says "diminish".
I don't know if this is what anyone ever meant by this song, or if the scene I'm seeing is even realistic in this universe, but it's what I hear. I love R.E.M.; those guys have given us so much.
@GTony that's an interesting take you have on the lyrics [albeit completely off]. Michael said the lyrics for the first few lps were nonsensical, though I have an interview that's impossibly old where he states that 'Carnival' was made up of words on a poster [of which 'reaping wheel' was two]. The 'box cars' are explained as 'hobo transport'.
@GTony that's an interesting take you have on the lyrics [albeit completely off]. Michael said the lyrics for the first few lps were nonsensical, though I have an interview that's impossibly old where he states that 'Carnival' was made up of words on a poster [of which 'reaping wheel' was two]. The 'box cars' are explained as 'hobo transport'.
@GTony
@GTony
evil circus fucks up a town then moves on to the next
@rieve EXACTLY
@rieve EXACTLY
@rieve Why don't you get your f-ing profanity out of my f-ing face you f-ing moron.
@rieve Why don't you get your f-ing profanity out of my f-ing face you f-ing moron.
The Holocaust...think about it.
I think this is absolutely right.
I think this is absolutely right.
@obvious1 "remember: KILL Hitler"
@obvious1 "remember: KILL Hitler"
I thought a lot about the lyrics for this song for quite some time. So mysterious. It finally came to me one day when I was cutting the grass in the back yard,,,
The song is about hobo's. Vagrants, vagrancy.
"Gentlemen, don't get caught" don't get caught and thrown into the clink.
"Boxcars are moving (out of town)" obvious
"Stranger, stranger to these parts" Fellows not from 'round here.
"Reaping Reel" AKA falling off of the train and getting crunched by the train wheel. Reaping = dead. Reels are round like wheels. Reel = Wheel.
"Carnival of sorts" clans of hobo's are much like carnivals. Loose bands of gentlemen traveling about almost without aim. A carnival of sorts traveling place to place. Hobo's tend to be male.
Beyond this premise I think it has something to do with a close encounter with a vagrant. Maybe even sexual in nature.
Don't wade into the carnival backwaters or the sinister alligators will get ya!
City-folk you're in a dangerous part of town. This ain't no place for a gentleman to venture into.
….
[Edit: Needed to be done]
dig the freaky calliope intro
@pumkinhed nonesuch
@pumkinhed nonesuch
This is my favorite song from the Chronic Town EP. Great stuff.
http://www.freewebs.com/thejakesite
@Jakebert
@Jakebert
didn't seem to real
didn't seem to real
i always thought it was "turning out of town"
@clashcityrocker9 me too - and it's probably correct
@clashcityrocker9 me too - and it's probably correct
ps: 'try this trick at hand'
ps: 'try this trick at hand'
first, another rem song concerning trains (driver 8, high speed train) next, just a feeling of being left behind or trapped in an empty place (the carnival leaving, the torn carnival poster, being caged, dont get caught, boxcars leaving). other then that, i dunno, just a great song. always thought it was "repeat wheel", kinda bummed that its not cause its a cool play on words (wheels naturally repeating their positions)
@kakashi18018
@kakashi18018