Death Of A Clown
Tennessee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I remember to this day
Der leuchtend rote Georgia-Ton
The bright red Georgia clay
Und wie es an den Reifen klebte
And how it stuck to the tires
Nach dem Sommerregen
After the summer rain
Willenskraft brachte das alte Auto zum Laufen
Will power made that old car go
Das sagte mir der Verstand einer Frau
A woman′s mind told me that so
Oh, wie ich es wünsche
Oh how I wish
Wir waren wieder unterwegs
We were back on the road again
Ich und du und ein Hund namens Boo
Me and you and a dog named boo
Reisen und leben vom Land
Travellin' and livin′ off the land
Ich und du und ein Hund namens Boo
Me and you and a dog named boo
Wie ich es liebe, ein freier Mann zu sein
How I love being a free man
Jetzt kann ich mich noch erinnern
Now I can still recall
Die Weizenfelder von St. Paul
The wheat fields of St. Paul
Und am Morgen wurden wir erwischt
And the morning we got caught
Raub von einer alten Henne
Robbing from an old hen
Der alte McDonald, er hat uns arbeiten lassen
Old McDonald, he made us work
Aber dann hat er uns dafür bezahlt, was es wert war
But then he paid us for what it was worth
Eine weitere Tankfüllung und
Another tank of gas and
Wieder zurück auf der Straße
Back on the road again
Ich und du und ein Hund namens Boo
Me and you and a dog named boo
Reisen und leben vom Land
Travellin' and livin' off the land
Ich und du und ein Hund namens Boo
Me and you and a dog named boo
Wie ich es liebe, ein freier Mann zu sein
How I love being a free man
Jetzt werde ich den Tag nie vergessen
Now I′ll never forget the day
Wir fuhren stattlich ins große L.A.
We motored stately into big L.A.
Die Lichter der Stadt setzen sich in meinem Gehirn nieder
The lights of the city put settlin′ down in my brain
Obwohl es erst ein Monat oder so her ist
Though it's only been a month or so
Das alte Auto nervt uns zu gehen
That old car′s buggin' us to go
Wir müssen weg und wieder auf die Straße
We′ve gotta get away and get back on the road again
Ich und du und ein Hund namens Boo
Me and you and a dog named boo
Reisen und leben vom Land
Travellin' and livin′ off the land
Ich und du und ein Hund namens Boo
Me and you and a dog named boo
Wie ich es liebe, ein freier Mann zu sein
How I love being a free man
Ich und du und ein Hund namens Boo
Me and you and a dog named boo
Reisen und leben vom Land
Travellin' and livin' off the land
Ich und du und ein Hund namens Boo
Me and you and a dog named boo
Wie ich es liebe, ein freier Mann zu sein
How I love being a free man
Ich und du und ein Hund namens Boo
Me and you and a dog named boo
Reisen und leben vom Land
Travellin′ and livin′ off the land
Ich und du und ein Hund namens Boo ...
Me and you and a dog named boo ...
The lyrics to Tennessee's song Death of a Clown depict a nostalgic road trip taken by the singer with his companion and their dog named Boo. He remembers the bright red Georgia clay sticking to the tires after summer rain, indicating the vivid memories he has of their journey. The singer speaks of his willpower and the support of his female companion, who helped him make the old car run. The wheat fields in St. Paul and their encounter with old McDonald, who made them work but paid them fairly, were other notable experiences they had on their trip.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember to this day
The singer has vivid memories of the events that will be described in the song.
The bright red Georgia clay
The red soil of Georgia is a distinctive and enduring image for the singer.
And how it stuck to the tires
The clay soil would cling to the car's tires after a rain, making travel difficult.
After the summer rain
The clay soil would be particularly sticky and difficult to maneuver through after rain.
Will power made that old car go
The car wasn't in great condition, but the artist's perseverance kept it running.
A woman's mind told me that so
The line reflects a stereotypical gender role where a woman's intuition is more reliable than a man's willpower.
Oh how I wish
The singer wishes to relive the experiences they had while travelling before the 'old car' gave out.
We were back on the road again
The artist's travel activities had halted for some reason (e.g. car trouble), but they were ready to travel again.
Me and you and a dog named Boo
The artist was travelling with someone special and a beloved pet dog named Boo.
Travellin' and livin' off the land
They were travelling, relying on what they could find in the wild to survive (e.g. hunting, fishing) instead of purchasing goods.
How I love being a free man
The freedom of travelling and living off the land was something the singer valued highly.
The wheat fields of St. Paul
The song describes a setting with wheat fields in St. Paul that the artist remembers with fondness.
And the morning we got caught
The singer is remembering a specific instance where they were caught doing something by someone in the area. (Exact thing they were caught doing isn't clear.)
Robbing from an old hen
It seems like the singer was caught stealing from someone in the area.
Old McDonald, he made us work
Old McDonald, someone who the singer may have stolen from, made them work for their misdeeds in some way.
But then he paid us for what it was worth
Old McDonald was a fair person who paid the artist an amount equal to the work that they did.
Another tank of gas and
The artist needed more gas to continue their journey.
We've gotta get away and get back on the road again
The singer and their companion are feeling antsy and need to hit the road again soon.
The lights of the city put settlin' down in my brain
The singer was experiencing a type of sensory overload in the city, causing them to feel unsettled.
That old car's buggin' us to go
The 'old car' is on its last legs and is causing the artist and their companion to feel restless and ready to move on.
Writer(s): Ray Davies, Dave Davies
Contributed by Blake D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.