Written by Bad Company lead singer Paul Rodgers, this song reflects his maxim of rock and roll as a form of escapism: a big show to thrill the crowd. Seems it's not so different from a circus, as he likens the band members to jesters, coming on stage to entertain.

"I don't think you should ever bring politics and stuff that surrounds you every day - all that depressing stuff - into music," Rodgers told Creem in 1979. "People want to go and see groups to get away from all that. I know I do. The lights, the atmosphere... they can forget everything else."

This is the kind of song only a seasoned and somewhat disillusioned musician could write. Bad Company got burned out on their 1977 tour and decided to take two years off, since they had fallen into routine. The break served them well: Their 1979 Desolation Angels album was one of their most successful, with "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" one of their biggest US hits.