The Saddest Clown - Peter Straker

Children hurry for the door

While mothers pay the man what he’s asking for

They’ve all come to see the clown

The finest circus ever seen has come to town

He makes them laugh, he makes them sing

To them this man they’ve waited for is everything

But underneath those fancy clothes and painted smiles there is a frown

The saddest clown has come to town

It all began some years ago

He stopped some children on his way to say: «hello»

A mother ran out screaming at the strange man

Shouting: «let them go»

And yet the night before, he made them laugh and sing

To them this man was everything

It made him very sad and so afraid, he realised

Without disguise he was anyone

Though that day has gone

The memory lingers on

Though his smile has gone

His fooling still goes on

The unhappy clown

Mothers hurry for the door

While children jam their heads calling out for more

They all want to meet the clown

The finest clown that they have ever seen in town

He made them laugh, he made them sing

To them this man they’d come to see was everything

But underneath those painted smiles, they couldn’t see there was a frown

The saddest clown has come to town

Though that day has gone

The memory lingers on

Though his smile has gone

His fooling still goes on, and on, and on

The unhappy clown