The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
There's only two types of people in the world
The ones that entertain, and the ones that observe
Well baby I'm a put-on-a-show kinda girl
Don't like the backseat, gotta be first
I'm like the ringleader
I call the shots (call the shots)
I'm like a firecracker
I make it hot
When I put on a show
I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins
Spotlight on me and I'm ready to break
I'm like a performer, the dance floor is my stage
Better be ready, hope that you feel the same
All eyes on me in the center of the ring
Just like a circus
When I crack that whip, everybody gon' trip
Just like a circus
Don't stand there watching me, follow me
Show me what you can do
Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor
Just like a circus
There's only two types of guys out there
Ones that can hang with me, and ones that are scared
So baby I hope that you came prepared
I run a tight ship so, beware
I'm like the ringleader
I call the shots (call the shots)
I'm like a firecracker
I make it hot
When I put on a show
I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins
Spotlight on me and I'm ready to break
I'm like a performer, the dance floor is my stage
Better be ready, hope that ya feel the same
All eyes on me in the center of the ring
Just like a circus
When I crack that whip, everybody gon' trip
Just like a circus
Don't stand there watching me, follow me
Show me what you can do
Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor
Just like a circus
Let's go
Let me see what you can do
I'm runnin' this (like, like, like, like a circus)
Yeah
Like a what? (like, like, like, like a circus)
All eyes on me in the center of the ring
Just like a circus
When I crack that whip, everybody gon' trip
Just like a circus
Don't stand there watching me, follow me
Show me what you can do
Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor
Just like a circus
All the eyes on me in the center of the ring
Just like a circus
When I crack that whip, everybody gon' trip
Just like a circus
Don't stand there watching me, follow me
Show me what you can do
Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor
Just like a circus
The ones that entertain, and the ones that observe
Well baby I'm a put-on-a-show kinda girl
Don't like the backseat, gotta be first
I'm like the ringleader
I call the shots (call the shots)
I'm like a firecracker
I make it hot
When I put on a show
I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins
Spotlight on me and I'm ready to break
I'm like a performer, the dance floor is my stage
Better be ready, hope that you feel the same
All eyes on me in the center of the ring
Just like a circus
When I crack that whip, everybody gon' trip
Just like a circus
Don't stand there watching me, follow me
Show me what you can do
Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor
Just like a circus
There's only two types of guys out there
Ones that can hang with me, and ones that are scared
So baby I hope that you came prepared
I run a tight ship so, beware
I'm like the ringleader
I call the shots (call the shots)
I'm like a firecracker
I make it hot
When I put on a show
I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins
Spotlight on me and I'm ready to break
I'm like a performer, the dance floor is my stage
Better be ready, hope that ya feel the same
All eyes on me in the center of the ring
Just like a circus
When I crack that whip, everybody gon' trip
Just like a circus
Don't stand there watching me, follow me
Show me what you can do
Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor
Just like a circus
Let's go
Let me see what you can do
I'm runnin' this (like, like, like, like a circus)
Yeah
Like a what? (like, like, like, like a circus)
All eyes on me in the center of the ring
Just like a circus
When I crack that whip, everybody gon' trip
Just like a circus
Don't stand there watching me, follow me
Show me what you can do
Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor
Just like a circus
All the eyes on me in the center of the ring
Just like a circus
When I crack that whip, everybody gon' trip
Just like a circus
Don't stand there watching me, follow me
Show me what you can do
Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor
Just like a circus
Lyrics submitted by rust3dxh3art
Circus Lyrics as written by Claude Kelly Lukasz Gottwald
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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this song is so damn catchy.
<3 she made such a come back :D
Don't get me wrong, Baby One More Time is classic and Toxic was her comeback....but this song will play in after her death in the movie about her life. It just speaks volumes about her and her passion for entertaining. It has all the references about how her life is a three-ring circus with freaks, fans, and observers. This song defines her.
SO. FUCKING. GOOD. This is going to be a classic. It is confidence personified.
God, who knew that over the years she would just get better, and better, and better...?
i love this song... ahaha, britney spears will never die out she has too much talent(:
I love this song!! It iz always playing in my head!! I'm like the ring leader, I call the shots, I'm like a firecracker, I make it hot, When I put on a show, I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins, Spotlight on me, and I'm ready to break, I'm like a performer, the dancefloor is my stage, Better be ready, hope that ya feel the same.
All eyes on me, in the centre of the ring, just like a circus, (Uh uh uh uh uh- huh) When I crack that whip, everybody gonn' trip just like a circus, (Uh uh uh uh uh- huh) Don't stand there watching me, follow me, show me what you can do, Everybody let go, we can make a dancefloor, just like a circus
this song is sexy.
and wow, good goin on the "There's only two types of guys out there, Ones that can hang with me, And ones that're scared,"
i thought she said ones that can handle me, but it's clearly hang with me. i wouldn't have gotten that lmao
This song sounds EXACTLY like the song on her previous album... "Break The Ice". It sounds like an inferior re-write.
Not really.
love love love this song. go britney! (L) seriously all the haters need to shut up. you have no idea what she has been through. not everything you read or hear is true. dont like her, dont listen.
LOVE CIRCUS(L)
Catchy song with fun lyrics.