The song Wild Man From Borneo by James McMurtry tells the story of a performer who was a part of Captain Midnight's traveling show. The performer was abandoned by his mother, who had loved a jungle king, and he was left alone inside the center ring of the circus. He was a wild man from Borneo, and was kept in a bamboo cage that was crossed over the raging sea, like a page from history. The performer is a hairy, scary, legendary screaming souvenir, and people come from far and wide to see him. They come to see what they want to see, but they never come to know of the real person inside. The tattooed lady who was also a part of the circus train, left the show and left her pictures in the rain, leaving the performer wondering if she was happy, free, or if she would ever know the mark she left on him. The song is a commentary on society's fascination with the exotic, and how people are often reduced to just their external appearance, without understanding or caring about the person they truly are. It is a melancholy song, highlighting the loneliness and isolation that the performer felt, despite being a part of a traveling show that brought joy and entertainment to others.
