Snowflake Circus
Vocal Melody and Lyrics written and sung by Richard Dry
Guitar chords and picking written and played by Richard Dry
Back up vocals and harmony written and sung by Dakota Dry
Percussion written and played by Richard Dry
Mixing by Richard Dry
Richard Dry: "Quiet desperation" comes from a line in Thoreau's Walden, in which he says, "The mass of men live lives of quiet desperation." He is then often misquoted as adding to that, "and go to the grave with their song still in them," which I love! That second part is most likely taken from "The Voiceless," by Oliver Wndell Holmes: "Alas for those that never sing,/But die with all their music in them!" I made this the title song because I feel like it's the underlying theme of many of my songs, living our music until we die: We climb in the ring and do our thing and then disappear as we hit the ground.
Verse
Would you trade this quiet life for a dying revelation
Reading books and savoring looks of quiet desperation
Does it heal your aching soul to take the load from someone's shoulders
Do you drink and think that time will make you anything but older
Verse
Have you ever walked along a single line of railroad track
The molten lava, Cliffs of Hell, solo balancing act
You've forgotten where you're going, you've forgotten where you're at
And the cheering trees take root cause you've been there
Chorus:
Well this is the original
Amazing, but terrible
Traveling, Snowflake circus
Climb in the Ring and do your thing
The spotlight moves around
Paint on a smile
Walk the line for a while
disappear as you hit the ground
disappear as you hit the ground
Verse
A wise man once said that you're born then you're dead
A wise woman once said love your brother
A wise man once said that you must get ahead
While those couple of wise ones made love to each other
Verse
Have you ever walked barefoot over rocks that were sharp
You cry and you holler, you scream and you bark
You land on the beach in the cooling white sand
then you smile and you head for the rocks...once again
Chorus
This is the original
Amazing but terrible
Traveling, Snowflake Circus
Climb in the ring and do your thing
The spotlight moves around
Paint on a smile and relax for a while
Cause’ tomorrow we're shutting down
Yah Tomorrow we're shutting down
Oh tomorrow we're all shutting down
Oh tomorrow