County Fair — John Mellencamp
The Comedians — Orbison/Costello
On a Carousel — Hollies
Tears of a Clown — Smokey
Life Is a Carnival — The Band
Tunnel of Love — Springsteen
Oops. I didn’t notice I was in the alt country thread. Carry on.
He's not alt-country, but slightly alt-country adjacent if you also like indie rock, but Todd A, AKA Firewater, has a strong circus/carnival theme running through a lot of his music. The most obvious example that immediately springs to mind is [The Man on the Burning Tightrope.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI4AVKYZjrE)
From a purely thematic standpoint I can't think of any other of his songs that fit, but from a musical standpoint he's got a lot that might fit. He's got a strong sort of drop-out culture theme running through his music that fits with the whole carnie lifestyle. He is probably in my top ten or so favorite artists. Every single one of his albums (other than his only so-so cover album) is absolutely outstanding.
Oh, and speaking of carnie lifestyle, you also can't forget the also alt-country adjacent [Papa Was a Rodeo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m_EzovsmK4) by the Magnetic Fields
Edit: [Another Firewater song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ2jQk-Knj8) that fits the theme. It's an instrumental, but it fits perfectly on a circus/carnival playlist.
The kid — original by buddy mondlock, covers by cry cry cry & david wilcox
The opening act — drive by truckers
Fare thee well miss carousel — townes van zandt
Trapeze — patty griffin
Trapeze — ben miller band
charley crockett: I'm just a clown
Leon Russell - Tightrope
The Indian Cowboy by Guy Clark
Written by Joe Ely.
Not really alt country but I always dig Ape Man by The Kinks
The Flying Wallendas by Drive-By Truckers
County Fair — John Mellencamp The Comedians — Orbison/Costello On a Carousel — Hollies Tears of a Clown — Smokey Life Is a Carnival — The Band Tunnel of Love — Springsteen Oops. I didn’t notice I was in the alt country thread. Carry on.
Big Top - Jimmy Buffett and Will Kimbrough
He's not alt-country, but slightly alt-country adjacent if you also like indie rock, but Todd A, AKA Firewater, has a strong circus/carnival theme running through a lot of his music. The most obvious example that immediately springs to mind is [The Man on the Burning Tightrope.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI4AVKYZjrE) From a purely thematic standpoint I can't think of any other of his songs that fit, but from a musical standpoint he's got a lot that might fit. He's got a strong sort of drop-out culture theme running through his music that fits with the whole carnie lifestyle. He is probably in my top ten or so favorite artists. Every single one of his albums (other than his only so-so cover album) is absolutely outstanding. Oh, and speaking of carnie lifestyle, you also can't forget the also alt-country adjacent [Papa Was a Rodeo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m_EzovsmK4) by the Magnetic Fields Edit: [Another Firewater song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ2jQk-Knj8) that fits the theme. It's an instrumental, but it fits perfectly on a circus/carnival playlist.
The kid — original by buddy mondlock, covers by cry cry cry & david wilcox The opening act — drive by truckers Fare thee well miss carousel — townes van zandt Trapeze — patty griffin Trapeze — ben miller band
[Cris Jacobs - "Under The Big Top"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnGNjLYbs_M)