So this has been.my favorite song of OTEP's since it came out in 2004, and I always thought it was a song about a child's narrative of suffering in an abusive Christian home. But now that I am revisiting the lyrics, I am seeing something totally new.
This song could be gospel of John but from the perspective of Jesus.
Jesus was NOT having a good time up to and during the crucifixion. Everyone in the known world at the time looked to him with fear, admiration or disgust and he was constantly being asked questions. He spoke in "verses, prophesies and curses". He had made an enemy of the state, and believed the world was increasingly wicked and fallen from grace, or that he was in the "mouth of madness".
The spine of atlas is the structure that allows the titan to hold the world up. Jesus challenged the state and in doing so became a celebrated resistance figure. It also made him public enemy #1.
All of this happened simply because he was doing his thing, not because of any agenda he had or strategy.
And then he gets scourged (storm of thorns)
There are some plot holes here but I think it's an interesting interpretation.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah
Now if there's a smile on my face
It's only there trying to fool the public
But when it comes down to fooling you
Now honey that's quite a different subject
But don't let my glad expression
Give you the wrong impression
Really I'm sad, oh, I'm sadder than sad
You're gone and I'm hurting so bad
Like a clown I appear to be glad (sad, sad, sad, sad)
Now, there's some sad things known to man
But ain't too much sadder than
The tears of a clown when there's no one around, mm
Oh, yeah, baby
Now if I appear to be carefree
It's only to camouflage my sadness
In order to shield my pride, I try
To cover this hurt with a show of gladness
But don't let my show convince you
That I've been happy since you
Decided to go (why did you go?)
Oh, I need you so (I need you so)
I'm hurt and I want you to know (want you to know)
But for others, I put on a show, ooh, oh (it's just a show)
There's some sad things known to man
But ain't too much sadder than
The tears of a clown, when there's no one around, oh, yeah
Just like Pagliacci did
I try to keep my surface hid
Smiling in the public, I
But in my lonely room, I cry
The tears of a clown
When there's no one around, oh, yeah, baby
Now if there's a smile on my face
Don't let my glad expression
Give you the wrong impression
Don't let this smile I wear
Make you think that I don't care
When really, I'm sad
Hurtin' so bad
Now if there's a smile on my face
It's only there trying to fool the public
But when it comes down to fooling you
Now honey that's quite a different subject
But don't let my glad expression
Give you the wrong impression
Really I'm sad, oh, I'm sadder than sad
You're gone and I'm hurting so bad
Like a clown I appear to be glad (sad, sad, sad, sad)
Now, there's some sad things known to man
But ain't too much sadder than
The tears of a clown when there's no one around, mm
Oh, yeah, baby
Now if I appear to be carefree
It's only to camouflage my sadness
In order to shield my pride, I try
To cover this hurt with a show of gladness
But don't let my show convince you
That I've been happy since you
Decided to go (why did you go?)
Oh, I need you so (I need you so)
I'm hurt and I want you to know (want you to know)
But for others, I put on a show, ooh, oh (it's just a show)
There's some sad things known to man
But ain't too much sadder than
The tears of a clown, when there's no one around, oh, yeah
Just like Pagliacci did
I try to keep my surface hid
Smiling in the public, I
But in my lonely room, I cry
The tears of a clown
When there's no one around, oh, yeah, baby
Now if there's a smile on my face
Don't let my glad expression
Give you the wrong impression
Don't let this smile I wear
Make you think that I don't care
When really, I'm sad
Hurtin' so bad
Lyrics submitted by super15matrix
The Tears of a Clown Lyrics as written by Stevie Wonder William Jr. Robinson
Lyrics © SMV Schacht Musikverlage GmbH & Co. KG, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
"Now there's some sad things known to man but ain't too much sadder than the tears of a clown"
Sing it, Smokey! This is such a great song, it's pretty obvious (at least to me) that it's about a guy whose girl left him and he's still so sad about it. The 'clown' act is to hide his feelings.
Or maybe he just felt like a clown. That would make anyone cry. S.R. is an amazing artist.