“There was a heaviness about him,” says Geier. “I could tell he wasn’t in the mood to chat, so I pretty much left him alone except to pass him the mustard when he pulled an onion and a heel of bread out of his pocket. A couple weeks later, he came by the bar and gave me a flyer to a show he was doing at a flea market. The sound system at that flea market was crap, but his voice was something else. I’ve been in my share of bands and wasn’t expecting much from a clown singing karaoke from a boombox. But I’ll be damned if his singing didn’t get me all choked up.”
The two soon became close friends, with Big Mike acting somewhat as a confidant, and the pair travel all over with Puddles Pity Party, Mike speaking on behalf of Puddles since the clown chooses to stay silent.
Originally from River City before kicking around Atlanta, the sulking serenader gained momentum after hitting the road as guest performer on the 2010 Aqua Teen Hunger Force Live tour and 2013 Eels tour and making special appearances at Seattle’s Teatro ZinZanni and NYC’s Sleep No More.
It was Halloween 2013 when Puddles then collaborated with Postmodern Jukebox to record an epic version of Lorde’s hit song “Royals,” which instantly went viral on YouTube, having received over 29 million views so far. You may also recognize Puddles as quarter-finalist from Season 12 of America’s Got Talent and most recently on AGT’s The Champions 2020. The “sad clown with the golden voice” has captivated audiences and media from around the world, building a fan base of more than 400,000 on Facebook and over 764,000 subscribers to the Puddles Pity Party YouTube channel.
Puddles has since performed all over the planet, garnering rave reviews at festivals like Edinburgh Fringe, Adelaide Fringe, Perth Fringe, Melbourne International Comedy Fest, Belgium’s Gent Fest, Outside Lands and the Kennedy Center’s District of Comedy Festival. He was a feature performer in La Soiree’s 2014 Southbank show in London, which won the Olivier Award. He was handpicked by Neil Patrick Harris to perform Just for Laugh’s “Circus Awesomeus,” gala filmed for HBO Canada, and Jack Black selected Puddles for multiple performances at Festival Supreme. And he recently enjoyed a Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace.
In 2020, with touring and live concerts halted in the wake of the pandemic, Puddles stayed busy producing twelve episodes of his Still Sequestered Show, a musical variety show series on Veeps.com that features lots of special guests like Jack Black, Weird Al, Penn Jillette, Tim Heidecker, Mark Ryden, Neil Hamburger, Rebekah Del Rio, Sid Krofft, Michael Des Barres, Petra Haden, David Dastmalchian, Cait O’Riordan, Michael Stipe, Patton Oswalt, Nicole Atkins, El Vez, Mastodon, Amy LaVere, Jake La Botz and Jolie Holland. The softhearted crooner hopes everyone is taking good care and wearing a mask, so that some day soon he and his fellow performing artists can get back to touring, and Puddles can resume giving free hugs to all his P3ers.
“Puddles gives an emotive performance that resonates with all kinds of folks,” says Geier. “The crowd really responds to him. There’s something about a giant sad singing clown that comforts us, let’s us know it’s ok to feel, to show our feelings. It’s a sad and beautiful world, and we’re all in it together, even when we’re totally alone.”
Chandelier
Puddles Pity Party Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't feel anything when will I learn
I push it down, I push it down
I′m the one "for a good time call"
Phone's blowin' up ringin′ my doorbell
I feel the love, I feel the love
One, two, three, one, two, three, drink
One, two, three, one, two, three, drink
One, two, three, one, two, three, drink
Throw ′em back till I lose count
I'm gonna swing from the chandelier
From the chandelier
I′m gonna live like tomorrow doesn't exist
Like it doesn′t exist
I'm gonna fly like a bird through the night
Feel my tears as they dry
I′m gonna swing from the chandelier
I'm holding on for dear life
Won't look down, won′t open my eyes
Keep my glass full until morning light
′Cause I'm just holding on for tonight
Help me, I′m holding on for dear life
Won't look down, won′t open my eyes
Keep my glass full until morning light
'Cause I′m just holding on for tonight
Sun is up, I'm a mess
Gotta get out now, gotta run from this
Here comes the shame, here comes the shame (aaah)
One, two, three, one, two, three, drink
One, two, three, one, two, three, drink
One, two, three, one, two, three, drink
Throw 'em back till I lose count
I′m gonna swing from the chandelier
From the chandelier
I′m gonna live like tomorrow doesn't exist
Like it doesn′t exist
I'm gonna fly like a bird through the night
Feel my tears as they dry
I′m gonna swing from the chandelier
I'm holding on for dear life
Won′t look down, won't open my eyes
Keep my glass full until morning light
'Cause I′m just holding on for tonight
Help me, I′m holding on for dear life
Won't look down, won′t open my eyes
Keep my glass full until morning light
'Cause I′m just holding on for tonight
I'm just holding on for tonight
Won′t look down, won't open my eyes
Keep my glass full until morning light
'Cause I′m just holding on for tonight
I′m just holding on for tonight
Won't look down, won′t open my eyes
Keep my glass full until morning light
The song "Chandelier" by Puddles Pity Party portrays the life of a party girl who tries to escape her problems by engaging in drinking and partying. The lyrics depict her state of mind as she tries to numb the pain and memories that she has been trying to push away. The first verse mentions that party girls don't get hurt, but this is just a facade, as she feels nothing and she still has a lot to learn. The chorus emphasizes the desire to swing from the chandelier and live like tomorrow does not exist, which is a way of symbolizing a never-ending party that she is trying to hold on to, to forget her past and present issues.
The second verse reveals her desperation to keep drinking even when the morning light comes because the thought of facing her problems is overwhelming. She repeats that she is holding on for dear life and won't look down or open her eyes. She says that she is going to run from her issues and face the shame that comes with it. In conclusion, "Chandelier" is a powerful metaphor for the self-destructive tendencies of a person with unresolved trauma, as she tries to escape her pain by engaging in reckless behaviors that only make it worse.
Line by Line Meaning
Party girls don't get hurt
I'm pretending to be a party girl who doesn't feel pain
Can't feel anything when will I learn
I'm numb to everything and wonder when I'll realize that's not healthy
I push it down, I push it down
I suppress my emotions instead of dealing with them
I'm the one 'for a good time call'
I'm the person people call when they want to have fun, but I'm not really happy
Phone's blowin' up ringin' my doorbell
I get a lot of attention from people who only see the fun side of me
I feel the love, I feel the love
Despite putting up a front, I do appreciate the affection I receive
One, two, three, one, two, three, drink
I'm drinking excessively to numb myself and escape my problems
Throw 'em back till I lose count
I'm drinking so much that I can't keep track of how much I've had
I'm gonna swing from the chandelier
I want to let loose and be reckless like swinging from a chandelier
From the chandelier
The chandelier symbolizes my desire for a temporary escape from my problems
I'm gonna live like tomorrow doesn't exist
I'm living in the moment and not thinking about the consequences of my actions
Like it doesn't exist
I'm ignoring my problems and pretending they don't exist
I'm gonna fly like a bird through the night
I want to feel free and unburdened like a bird flying through the night
Feel my tears as they dry
I'm suppressing my emotions and not allowing myself to cry
I'm holding on for dear life
I'm barely holding on and trying my best to keep going
Won't look down, won't open my eyes
I'm avoiding confronting my problems and the reality of my situation
Keep my glass full until morning light
I'm drinking all night to avoid facing my problems and emotions
'Cause I'm just holding on for tonight
I'm trying to survive the night and not thinking about the future
Help me, I'm holding on for dear life
I'm struggling and need help to keep going
Here comes the shame, here comes the shame (aaah)
I'm anticipating the guilt and regret that will come after my reckless behavior
I'm just holding on for tonight
I'm not thinking about the future and am just trying to make it through the night
Writer(s): Furler Sia Kate I, Shatkin Jesse Samuel
Contributed by Emma B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@PrincipeBelial
LYRIC
Party girls don't get hurt
Can't feel anything, when will I learn
I push it down, push it down
I'm the one "for a good time call"
Phone's blowin' up, they're ringin' my doorbell
I feel the love, feel the love
One, two, three, one, two, three, drink
One, two, three, one, two, three, drink
One, two, three, one, two, three, drink
Throw em back, till I lose count
I'm gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier
I'm gonna live like tomorrow doesn't exist
Like it doesn't exist
I'm gonna fly like a bird through the night, feel my tears as they dry
I'm gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier
And I'm holding on for dear life, won't look down won't open my eyes
Keep my glass full until morning light, 'cause I'm just holding on for tonight
Help me, I'm holding on for dear life, won't look down won't open my eyes
Keep my glass full until morning light, 'cause I'm just holding on for tonight
On for tonight
Sun is up, I'm a mess
Gotta get out now, gotta run from this
Here comes the shame, here comes the shame
One, two, three, one, two, three, drink
One, two, three, one, two, three, drink
One, two, three, one, two, three, drink
Throw em back till I lose count
I'm gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier
I'm gonna live like tomorrow doesn't exist
Like it doesn't exist
I'm gonna fly like a bird through the night, feel my tears as they dry
I'm gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier
And I'm holding on for dear life, won't look down won't open my eyes
Keep my glass full until morning light, 'cause I'm just holding on for tonight
Help me, I'm holding on for dear life, won't look down won't open my eyes
Keep my glass full until morning light, 'cause I'm just holding on for tonight
On for tonight
On for tonight
@brooklynrocks2396
His rendition of this song is breathtaking. He makes my soul come right out of me. ❤❤❤
@jasonloukx1653
This is by far, your absolute best song cover, I hate the original but this is brilliant.
@kingmori1
I absolutely feel the same.
@healthandharmony
I absolutely love this ever since AGT. I wish Puddles would record it.
@Kay_The_Coffee_Weirdo
He has recorded it with Postmodern Jukebox. You can stream/download their albums. It's off their album called "Clubbin' with Grandpa".
@Vulturefist
As usual I’m really late to the party, but damn, this was one Hell of a party!
Puddle is truly a fantastic singer who elevates this song to unimaginable hights. I truly love this version, and I honestly never thought this song could ever be this bloody good. Never stop doing this Mr. Clown, and I promise to never stop listening...
@janepalmer9096
Enjoyed your show afew years ago in St. Petersburg, Florida. You were fantastic!
@jossposs3400
I'm even later to the party. Absolutely loving this!! So unexpected and moving.
@magnifeck4669
Seriously, how can ANYONE give this a thumbs down? It's the definition of amazing.
@jacquesmoulin228
One word to describe his rendition. Superb. I have listened to it several times and I am thrilled everytime.