there was no one nothing to see
the night is useless and so are we
cause everybody knows
the fabric of folly is fallen apart at the seams
and i've been lookin' for a good time
but the pleasures are seldom and few
there's no whiskey there's no wine
just the concrete and a worried mind
cos everone knows death creeps in slow
til you feel safe in his arms
and i've been lookin' for a new friend
and i don't care if he's decrepit and grey
o maria haven't you known
days so careless
all on your own
everybody knows the circus is closed
and the animals have gone wild
and i've been lookin' for my shadow
but this place is so bright and so clean
there was no one nothing to see
the night is useless and so are we
cause everybody knows
the fabric of folly is fallen apart at the seams
and i've been lookin' for a good time
but the pleasures are seldom and few
the night is useless and so are we
cause everybody knows
the fabric of folly is fallen apart at the seams
and i've been lookin' for a good time
but the pleasures are seldom and few
just the concrete and a worried mind
cos everone knows death creeps in slow
til you feel safe in his arms
and i've been lookin' for a new friend
and i don't care if he's decrepit and grey
days so careless
all on your own
everybody knows the circus is closed
and the animals have gone wild
and i've been lookin' for my shadow
but this place is so bright and so clean
the night is useless and so are we
cause everybody knows
the fabric of folly is fallen apart at the seams
and i've been lookin' for a good time
but the pleasures are seldom and few
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
I think it's about just looking for cheap thrills but finding none, then just bumming around waiting for Death to come slowly. People get so desperate for company and escape from loneliness and idleness that they'd be willing to give themselves up to Death's loving arms. They just wanna be carefree and have fun...but when they can't find happiness they're just careless and wax their time with alcohol and circuses.
I love the background music on this song. It reminds me of film noir, sort of that 1920s, jazzy feel. Some of the lyrics almost make me think it's about prohibition in the early 20th century United States--"There is no whiskey, there is no wine. Just the concrete and a worried mind. Beck is so cool...
I worship Beck, this song makes me think of the time I spent with my grandfather before he died although there was plenty of whisky and wine I think its called whisky-mac & its all we drank!
continued... ginger wine that is.
I noticed that this song has the same first chord as "Oh! Darling" by the Beatles. I think it's an E augmented. It's certainly not a coincidence.
Like other songs on the Mutations album, this is about feeling alienated from a world of pleasure, comfort, and fun. The singer looks around and does not perceive all the pleasurable things that are supposed to be there. Instead he sees a foolish world that is falling apart, with no real joy in it. The part that throws me is the title and the reference to Maria. Clearly, it is someone the singer knows, and he is talking to her, but this is not a relationship song.
I like the music a lot also. It is sort of distorted, slow, old popular jazz stuff.
Like other songs on the Mutations album, this is about feeling alienated from a world of pleasure, comfort, and fun. The singer looks around and does not perceive all the pleasurable things that are supposed to be there. Instead he sees a foolish world that is falling apart, with no real joy in it. The part that throws me is the title and the reference to Maria. Clearly, it is someone the singer knows, and he is talking to her, but this is not a relationship song.
I like the music a lot also. It is sort of folky, jazzy, and slow, and has an old school vibe.