Lyr/Chords Req: Sweeping the Spotlight Away

Subject: Lyr/crd req: Sweeping the spotlight away
From: Chris Mercer
Date: 15 Dec 99 - 08:14 PM

This is a Murray McLauchlan song about Emmet Brown, the famous clown. I have been searching the web but can't track it down anywhere. Does anyone know the song, or where I could get the lyrics and chords? Thanks in advance.

Chris

ps; the chorus goes something like "the sun's going down on the midway tonight, the red stripes are turning to grey; but old Emmet's still out in the big top tonight and he's sweeping the spotlight away..."

Subject: RE: Lyr/crd req: Sweeping the spotlight away
From: Stewie
Date: 16 Dec 99 - 01:45 AM

Sounds like a great song. I just had a look in CDNOW and they have it there as an import on an album of the same title by Mclauchlan. Just take the 'song title' option and you'll find it. Is he the person who wrote 'Child's Song' that Tom Rush does? Lovely song too. It just that the name is spelt differently on the Rush credits - Murray McLaughlin. If you get the album, let me know what it's like.

Cheers, Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr/crd req: Sweeping the spotlight away
From: Tiger
Date: 16 Dec 99 - 09:49 AM

Chris.......

It was Emmett Kelly that did the sweeping. Might help your search.

Subject: RE: Lyr/crd req: Sweeping the spotlight away
From: Chris
Date: 16 Dec 99 - 10:31 AM

Stewie, that's the same artist. I'd recommend Murray McLauchlin's Greatest Hits as a fantastic introduction to Murray's music, it includes "The Childs Song" (David Bromberg does a great cover of this tune on Reckless Abandon album), "Down By The Henry Moore", and "The Farmers Song" as well as lots of other great tunes. Unfortunately, it doesn't include the "Sweeping ..." tune. Thanks to Tiger for the correct name as well (I thought that Brown was wrong).

Chris

Subject: RE: Lyr/crd req: Sweeping the spotlight away
From: Wolfgang
Date: 16 Dec 99 - 11:21 AM

a quote from a web search which failed to find the lyrics:
"McLaughlan, Murray (1948- ) one of the pillars of Canadian contemporary folk along with such names as Lightfoot, Gordon. The singer-songwriter-guitarist has made many recordings, and some of the songs were hits in both folk and pop circles: "Child's Song", "Farmer's Song", "Honky Red", and "Sweeping the Spotlight Away". He has three Juno awards and is currently (1994) the host of his own show on Canadian radio. "

Wolfgang

Subject: Lyr Add: SWEEPING THE SPOTLIGHT AWAY (M McLauchlan
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 11:15 PM

This can be found at several lyric web sites, for example, LipWalkLyrics.com:


SWEEPING THE SPOTLIGHT AWAY
Murray McLauchlan

1. Here's a plain simple song, without much to say
For times when plain circumstance
Finds me with someone whose world is all wrong
So they feel like they don't have a chance.
It's alright to learn from the times you're a fool,
But it don't pay to dwell on the past.
Sometimes I think I'm really a clown
But there's plenty of time left for that.

CHORUS: The sun's goin' down on the midway tonight.
The red stripes are turning to grey,
But old Emmett's still out in the big top tonight,
Sweeping the spotlight away.

2. Here's a song for the rain on the trash-can lids
And the nights when there ain't much to do.
Here's a song for the face that it sometimes seems
People always tell their troubles to.
You might see a trace of a greasepaint face
On everyone comin' around.
Don't you always laugh with a tear in your eye
When you laugh at a sad-faced clown? CHORUS

3. Somewhere there's a child that everyone hides,
A prisoner that longs to be free,
Boys and girls in a fantasy world,
But I guess I'm just talkin' for me.
But I feel him there, behind me somewhere,
When the streetlights reflect in the rain
The sad-faced clown with his mouth turned down,
Sweeping the spotlight away. CHORUS