Terry Callier (24 May 1945 - 27 Oct 2012) was an American jazz, soul and fo… Read Full Bio ↴Terry Callier (24 May 1945 - 27 Oct 2012) was an American jazz, soul and folk guitarist and singer-songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. Callier, a childhood friend of Curtis Mayfield, began recording in 1963 but never reached stardom despite a series of regional hits in the 1960s and 70s and three outstanding albums for Cadet: 'Occasional Rain' (1972), 'What Color Is Love' (1973) and 'I Just Can't Help Myself' (1974). In 1983, he gained custody of his 12-year-old daughter Sundiata and decided to retire from music to look for a steadier income. He took classes in computer programming and landed a job at the University of Chicago in 1984. He re-emerged from obscurity when British DJs discovered his old recordings and began to play his songs in clubs in the early 1990s. Acid Jazz Records head Eddie Pillar brought Callier to play clubs in Britain beginning in 1991 and he began to make regular trips to play gigs during his vacation time from work.

In the late 1990s Callier began his comeback to recorded music, contributing to Beth Orton's Best Bit EP in 1997 and releasing the album Timepeace in 1998, which won the United Nations' Time For Peace award for outstanding artistic achievement contributing to world peace. His colleagues at the University of Chicago never learned of Callier's life as a musician, but after the award the news of his secret life became widely known and subsequently led to his firing.[3][9]

As well as touring internationally, Callier continued his recording career, releasing five albums since Timepeace, including Lifetime (1999), Alive (2001), Speak Your Peace (2002) and Lookin' Out (2004). May 2009 saw his album Hidden Conversations featuring Massive Attack released on Mr Bongo records.[7][9] In 2001, Callier performed "Satin Doll" for the Red Hot Organization's compilation album Red Hot + Indigo, a tribute to Duke Ellington, which raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS awareness and fighting the disease. Callier died on October 27, 2012, after a long illness.

Soulful Clown
Terry Callier Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When a neighborhood I come from
was kind a ... drum
There was always music there
And also things to run from
broken dreams and ...
I do believe I had my share...

Every street continue a story

how it was and what it became
and it leaves an image before me
and an echo's repeating my name

And I remember Jim was a tough guy
..
He was always raisen Hell, yeah
But he wasn't rough
Now he's a nice and ... guy
If you ever get him known well

oh... It seems I just can remember
all the places fading from view
all the memories are turning into music
now I'm bringing it all back to you

la-la-la

... when I got to higher scool
I played ... fool
worked out of masterplan
last where I broke my first rule
I blew my first and last ...
Unless we're all be ...

Pictures passed levaing fake traces
mirorrs flash a protrait that shows
a few tears ... faces
and a song from long-long ago

I was such a soulful clown
until I didn't see my game go down

Yeah, I was such a soulful clown
till I didn't see my game go down

and harder time is flown
and finally I'm a clown, man!
like they say: you live and learn
I'm finally on my own
standing all alone
I've passed the point of no return

And here is a prayaer for your friends and relations
and a tune you might recognize
but I have just one cancellation
when I'm wearing my favourite discuss

And children I'll be such a soulful clown
till I never see my game go down

Yeah, I was such a soulful clown
till they don't see my game go down

Overall Meaning

In Terry Callier's "Soulful Clown," the singer reflects on his youth in a neighborhood with both music and a range of obstacles. He remembers Jim as a tough guy who was always causing trouble, but who, upon getting to know him better, turned out to be a nice and decent person. The lyrics weave together the past and present, painting pictures of how things were and how they have changed, while the melody provides a sense of nostalgia for a time long ago.

The singer describes his youthful self as a "soulful clown," suggesting that he put on a performance of sorts to mask his vulnerability and pain. He notes that he made mistakes and endured disappointments, but ultimately learned from his experiences and grew into adulthood, standing on his own. The song is a poignant and introspective reflection on the passage of time, the complexity of inter-personal relationships, and the role of music in preserving memories.

Line by Line Meaning

When a neighborhood I come from was kind a ... drum
The place where I grew up was full of rhythm and energy.

There was always music there And also things to run from broken dreams and ... I do believe I had my share...
The neighborhood was full of music, but also had its share of broken dreams and danger.

Every street continue a story how it was and what it became and it leaves an image before me and an echo's repeating my name
Every street has a history and a present, which leave an impression on me and resonate with my own story.

And I remember Jim was a tough guy .. He was always raisen Hell, yeah But he wasn't rough Now he's a nice and ... guy If you ever get him known well
Jim seemed like a tough guy, but he was actually kind. Now he's even nicer, if you get to know him.

oh... It seems I just can remember all the places fading from view all the memories are turning into music now I'm bringing it all back to you
I remember all the places from my past that are disappearing, but their memories turn into music that I'm sharing with you.

la-la-la
Musical interlude.

... when I got to higher scool I played ... fool worked out of masterplan last where I broke my first rule I blew my first and last ... Unless we're all be ...
In high school I made some foolish decisions and broke some rules, which had some unfortunate consequences.

Pictures passed levaing fake traces mirorrs flash a protrait that shows a few tears ... faces and a song from long-long ago
Memories of the past are leaving fake impressions, but they still evoke some nostalgia and emotion.

I was such a soulful clown until I didn't see my game go down Yeah, I was such a soulful clown till I didn't see my game go down
I used to think of myself as a soulful person, but I made some mistakes that led to my downfall.

and harder time is flown and finally I'm a clown, man! like they say: you live and learn I'm finally on my own standing all alone I've passed the point of no return
I've learned some hard lessons and now I'm a wiser person. I've reached a point where I can't go back, but I'm standing strong on my own.

And here is a prayaer for your friends and relations and a tune you might recognize but I have just one cancellation when I'm wearing my favourite discuss
I'm sharing a prayer and a familiar tune, but I have to cancel one thing when I'm expressing my true self.

And children I'll be such a soulful clown till I never see my game go down Yeah, I was such a soulful clown till they don't see my game go down
I still want to be a soulful person, but I don't want to make the same mistakes that led to my downfall.

Contributed by Liam I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS

Genre not found

Artist not found

Album not found

Search results not found

Song not found

Comments from YouTube:

@yellowpinko

11y↑14

I saw terry a few year back at the jazz cafe, folks in the audience requested this tune, terry confessed he had'nt sung the song in dacades and could'nt remember the lyrics so the audience sung it to him to jogg his memory. R.I.P brother / teacher/ artist ,

@MrReillac

14y↑4

has this got to be the most beautiful song....ive loved it since i first heard it ..and i said to myself if i have a boy....hes gonna be called callier... now every day i call my lovely boy callier....