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 dancefloor just like a circus.” – Circus, Britney Spears

The song is a circus, with the thumping beat, the voice modifier, and the oh-so-infectious chorus. I feel like I’m in the center of the ring when I sing it, watching the clowns squeeze into their tiny clown car, gazing up at the trapeze artist as she balances in mid-air, and seeing the lion tamer holding the chair up high against the advancing king of the beasts.

But the song is so much more than that. It is empowering. You heard me right. “Circus” is one of the most empowering songs I have ever heard. It’s like Tina’s “Proud Mary,” like R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly,” and like Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida,” all rolled up into one. Seriously, give it a listen sometime. The lyrics are phenomenal, even though they’re simple on the surface, a party girl wanting to get down and have fun whenever and wherever. What’s really there, though, is so much deeper. It’s really about getting people up and moving when they haven’t been. She wants to be the center of attention because it inspires everyone else to follow her lead. And it works.

I remember a couple of years ago I was at a high school dance. It was probably the beginning of the year dance because it was mostly freshmen there (don’t ask), but when they played this song it really rang true. All of the wallflowers peeled themselves off the walls and “betook them to their legs” (see if you can place that quote) in the middle of the dancefloor. It was incredible to see. Every single one of them knew every single word. It was like they all had lighters and were waving them back and forth, concert style, that dynamic a moment, and the only time all night when nearly every single person in the place was dancing. That’s what I call empowerment.

So, when I found out that today’s Daily Prompt was what song is constantly on replay in my head, it was a no-brainer (ha ha). I love dancing, and I love Britney Spears, so every time I sing the song I have to dance. Did you know that I used to do a mash-up with “Circus” and Pink’s “Funhouse” that rocked everyone’s socks. Well, it didn’t make them cover their ears, and that is definitely a bonus.

“I’m like the ringleader. I call the shots.
I’m like a firecracker. I make it hot when I put on a show.”

Just like a circus. Uh huh.

Sam