Songfacts®:

• Steve Hackett was in Genesis from 1971-1976, an experience that informed this song.
  
  "Enter The Ring" refers to a circus ring, which is what Genesis felt like to Hackett. The song shifts musically to reflect his time leading up to the band, his time in it, and then the aftermath when he left.
  
  "As it became more restrictive, the music takes a turn and heads into a kind of 'wildfire burning through the faire' feel to it – the sound of mechanical organs and 'Victoriana,'" he explained in a Songfacts track by track. "So much happens briefly – things happen in vignettes. It's a more proggy track."
• As you can infer from the album title, The Circus And The Nightwhale, a big-top theme runs throughout the album, which is semi-autobiographical. Hackett refers to the main character as "Travla," with the idea that he's the hero in a story about a heroic quest.
• Hackett got help writing this song from his producer Roger King and his wife Jo. Jo co-wrote other tracks on the album as well, including "Taking You Down" and "People Of The Smoke."
• That's Steve Hackett's brother John Hackett on flute.