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