| "Oh What a Circus" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by David Essex | ||||
| B-side | "High Flying, Adored" | |||
| Released | August 19, 1978 | |||
| Recorded | 1978 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 3:54 | |||
| Label | Mercury | |||
| Composer(s) | Andrew Lloyd Webber | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Tim Rice | |||
| Producer(s) | Mike Batt | |||
| David Essex singles chronology | ||||
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"Oh What a Circus" is a song from the 1976 musical Evita, which had lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It was recorded by English singer David Essex and released as a single on August 19, 1978, by Mercury Records. Essex played the character of Che in the original London production of the musical, and the song is sung from his point-of-view. Produced and arranged by Mike Batt, "Oh What a Circus" is a mid-tempo song, comparing the musical's title character Eva Perón's funeral with a circus, and calling her actions fraudulent. The song is a contrafactum, and shares its tune with the better known "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from the same show.
"Oh What a Circus" was a commercial success for Essex, who had been dropped by his previous record company due to his declining sales. The song reached number 3 on the UK Singles Chart, and the top-30 in Belgium and Netherlands. In subsequent productions of the musical, "Oh What a Circus" has been sung by numerous performers, including Mandy Patinkin, Ricky Martin and Scottish rock musician Marti Pellow. In the 1996 film adaptation of the show, the song was sung by Antonio Banderas and American singer Madonna, and received critical appreciation for its flamenco-infused composition.