Laughing Man
Resurrection Band Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Laughter in the halls of mirrors,
Weeping at the backstage door,
Take your pick 'cause I've had mine,
I'm sick and tired, and bored.

See the laughing man, cynic's mask in hand.

Bend straight paths by careless force,
Pollute love's river at the source,
Hope is a joke; I play the clown,
I'm gonna shoot up the whole downtown.

See the laughing man, cynic's mask in hand.

Talk about love - where is it?
Show me real life; I wanna kiss it.

See the laughing man, cynic's mask in hand.

I see you laugh,
Oh, laughing man,




See him laugh,
Oh, look at him now.

Overall Meaning

The Resurrection Band's song "Laughing Man" reflects on the hopelessness and despair that can come from a life of cynicism and skepticism. The opening lines describe the contrasting emotions of laughter and weeping, perhaps suggesting that people are amused by the facade of happiness and success but are really struggling behind closed doors. The laughing man, with his cynical mask in hand, embodies this disillusionment and lack of faith in the world around him. He has lost all hope in love and believes that the only way out is to destroy everything around him.


The song's lyrics suggest that this kind of pessimistic worldview is ultimately unfulfilling and unhealthy. The laughing man's attempts to ridicule and destroy everything around him reveal his deep sense of isolation and unhappiness. The lines "Talk about love - where is it? Show me real life; I wanna kiss it" suggest that the laughing man is incapable of experiencing true love and real joy because of his negative attitude towards the world.


Overall, "Laughing Man" is a powerful and emotive song that explores the damaging effects of cynicism and the importance of finding hope and purpose in life.


Line by Line Meaning

Laughter in the halls of mirrors,
People laugh and joke while they are surrounded by reflections of themselves.


Weeping at the backstage door,
Behind the scenes, there is sadness and sorrow.


Take your pick 'cause I've had mine,
Everyone has their own struggles and challenges.


I'm sick and tired, and bored.
I am exhausted and disinterested in life.


See the laughing man, cynic's mask in hand.
There is a person who appears happy and carefree, but they hide a dark and cynical attitude.


Bend straight paths by careless force,
People will forcefully change the direction of progress.


Pollute love's river at the source,
People will corrupt love and goodness from the very beginning.


Hope is a joke; I play the clown,
Having hope is foolish, and I am fine with appearing to be a joke or idiot to others.


I'm gonna shoot up the whole downtown.
I am so upset and angry that I will cause destruction and harm to others.


Talk about love - where is it?
People often talk about love, but it seems to be missing or unattainable in real life.


Show me real life; I wanna kiss it.
I want to experience raw and unfiltered life, even if it is harsh or painful.


I see you laugh,
I notice others laughing and being happy.


Oh, laughing man,
Referring to the person who appears happy and carefree.


See him laugh,
Witnessing this person's laughter again.


Oh, look at him now.
Observing the person's joviality again, despite knowing the darkness they hide inside.




Contributed by Sydney G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

John McGowan


on Hotfootin'

A couple of lyrics changes:
"Banana-boat Buick blaring in stereo can't drown out what he is saying."
"Brothers and sisters he tells them..."

Bruce M. Axtens


on Benny & Sue

"ignored the one inside" or "ignored the warning sign"?

More Versions