If I Told You Once

The song 'If I Told You Once' by Circus Contraption unfolds as a dark and macabre tale of love, obsession, and tragedy. The lyrics tell the story of a narrator who repeatedly warns their beloved against falling in love with someone who is 'broken beyond all repair' and who 'drinks from the well of despair.' Despite these warnings, the beloved seems to have succumbed to such a love, leading to a grim fate.

The repeated lines 'If I told you once, I told you a thousand times my dear' emphasize the narrator's persistent attempts to prevent the inevitable. The imagery of the beloved swinging from a rope and stepping off a chair in pink satin slippers paints a chilling picture of suicide. The narrator's fixation on the beloved's demise, the lock of hair, and the suicide note left behind suggests a deep and morbid connection. The song's gothic tone is further enhanced by references to the beloved's body, the worms, and the 'incurable peace' of death.

Circus Contraption is known for their theatrical and vaudevillian style, often blending elements of dark cabaret with circus aesthetics. This song is a testament to their ability to weave storytelling with music, creating an atmosphere that is both eerie and captivating. The repeated phrases and the progression from warnings to the aftermath of the beloved's death create a haunting narrative that lingers with the listener, as the narrator's obsession with being the last thought of the beloved's mind is chillingly conveyed.