Stevie Wonder and his producer Hank Cosby wrote the music for the song, and Cosby produced the instrumental track recording. Wonder gave Smokey Robinson the instrumental track as a Christmas present at the 1966 Motown Christmas party. Robinson, who remarked that the song's distinctive calliope motif "sounded like a circus", provided lyrics that reflected his vision and sang lead vocal. In the song, Robinson's character, hurt by a lover who left him, compares himself to the characters in the opera Pagliacci, comedians/clowns who hide their hurt and anger behind empty smiles. Robinson had used the Pagliacci comparison before: the line "just like Pagliacci did/I'll try to keep my sadness hid" also appears in the song "My Smile Is Just A Frown (Turned Upside Down)", which Robinson wrote in 1964 for Motown artist Carolyn Crawford.
The Tears Of A Clown
Smokey Robinson and The Miracles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
The song "The Tears of a Clown" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles is a classic soul song about hiding one's true emotions behind a happy exterior. The lyrics suggest that the singer is putting on a brave face in public, but inwardly he is devastated by a lost love. The phrase "tears of a clown" alludes to the sad reality that even the funniest people can be hiding great pain.
The first verse establishes that the singer is trying to deceive the public into thinking he is happy. He admits that he is sad and hurting because someone he loves has left him. Even though he appears to be "glad" like a clown, his true emotions are "sadder than sad." In the next verse, the singer expresses that his outward happiness is only a facade. He is covering up his sadness to keep up his pride, but in reality, he is still in love with the one who left him. He wants this person to know the truth and that this happy exterior is all for show.
The chorus brings the phrase "tears of a clown" into the lyrics. The singer asserts that there is nothing sadder than a clown crying alone without an audience to appreciate his humor. The final verse invokes the character of Pagliacci, an opera clown who tries to keep his personal problems hidden from the audience. The singer feels the same way, trying to keep his sadness hidden from the world. However, he is still crying in his lonely room where nobody can see him. In the end, the song is both heartbreaking and uplifting. It acknowledges the pain of lost love but also suggests that it's possible to put on a brave face and overcome adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh yeah yeah yeah
Just an enthusiastic start to the song
Now if there's a smile on my face
If you see me smiling
It's only there trying to fool the public
I am not genuinely happy, I am just pretending to the world
But when it comes down to fooling you
But when it comes to trying to fool you
Now honey that's quite a different subject
It's not that easy to pretend to you
But don't let my glad expression
But don't be fooled by my smile
Give you the wrong impression
Don't think that I am not sad
Really I'm sad, oh I'm sadder than sad
I am really sad, more than just a little sad
You're gone and I'm hurting so bad
You left and I am in a lot of pain
Like a clown I appear to be glad (sad, sad, sad, sad)
I am putting on a show of happiness, like a clown, but really I am sad
Now they're some sad things known to man
There are a lot of sad things in the world
But ain't too much sadder than
But nothing is sadder than
The tears of a clown when there's no one around, uh
When a clown is alone and crying
Oh yeah, baby
Said with emphasis and emotion
Now if I appear to be carefree
If I seem like nothing bothers me
It's only to camouflage my sadness
It's only because I am trying to hide my sadness
And honey to shield my pride I try
To protect my ego, I try
To cover this hurt with a show of gladness
To hide my hurt by pretending to be happy
But don't let my show convince you
But don't be fooled by my act
That I've been happy since you
That I have been happy since you left
'Cause I had to go (why did you go), oh I need you so (I need you so)
You left me and I miss you so much
Look I'm hurt and I want you to know (want you to know)
I am in pain and I want you to understand that
For others I put on a show (it's just a show)
I pretend to be happy for others' sake, but it's not real
Now they're some sad things known to man
There are a lot of sad things in the world
But ain't too much sadder than
But nothing is sadder than
The tears of a clown when there's no one around, uh
When a clown is alone and crying
Just like Pagliacci did
Like the character Pagliacci from an opera
I try to keep my surface hid
I try to keep my true feelings hidden
Smiling in the crowd I try
I try to appear happy in front of others
But in my lonely room I cry
But when I am alone I cry
The tears of a clown
I am crying like a clown
When there's no one around, oh yeah, baby
When there is no one to see me cry
Now if there's a smile on my face
If you see me smiling
Don't let my glad expression
Don't be fooled by my smile
Give you the wrong impression
Don't think that I am not sad
Don't let this smile I wear
Don't be fooled by my smile
Make you think that I don't care
Don't think that I don't care
'Cause really I'm sad
I am really sad
Lyrics Β© SMV Schacht Musikverlage GmbH & Co. KG, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: William Jr. Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Henry Cosby
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@drumsnbass
A white 10 year old kid goes into the local record store and buys his very first 45. That was me. And I played this over and over (and over). Motown rules!
@denisejackson776
Awesome memory, thanx for sharing!
@indoctrinnation660
And it mattered that you were WHITE because WHY?
@denisejackson776
@@indoctrinnation660 He was white, this was in the sixties, a very turbulent time, and yet he loved "black" music as a 10yr old kid, thats why it was mentioned
@drumsnbass
@@indoctrinnation660 I loved Motown more than the βwhiteβ music. Still listen to it today.
@Wayne_155
@@denisejackson776 some people just don't get it π Denise
@auricprophet7106
Stevie Wonder wrote the music, Smokey the lyrics. Perfect duo!
@rockyracoon3233
Dream team!
@jahno7154
Thanks for that info I never knew that.
@kariskjerseth8818
i didnt know that