Released: September 24, 1970
Songwriter: Henry “Hank” Cosby Smokey Robinson Stevie Wonder
Producer: Henry “Hank” Cosby Smokey Robinson
[Intro]
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah
[Verse 1]
Now if there's a smile on my face
It's only there tryin’ to fool the public
But when it comes down to foolin’ you
Now, honey, that's quite a different subject
But don't let my glad expression
Give you the wrong impression
Really I'm sad (Sad, sad, sad, sad)
Oh sadder than sad (I'm hurt so bad)
You're gone, and I'm hurtin' so bad (I pretend to be glad)
Like a clown, I pretend to be glad (Sad, sad, sad, sad)
[Chorus]
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
Oh yeah, baby
[Verse 2]
Now if I appear to be carefree
It's only to camouflage my sadness
In order to shield my pride, I’ve tried
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 (It's just a show)
Ooh oh
[Chorus]
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
[Bridge]
Just like Pagliacci did (The great pretender)
I try to keep my sadness hid
[Chorus]
Smiling in the public eye (The great pretender)
But in my lonely room I cry the tears of a clown
When there's no one around
Oh yeah, baby
[Outro]
Now if there's a smile on my face (Tears of clown)
Don't let my glad expression (Tears of a clown)
Give you the wrong impression
Don't let this smile I wear (Tears of a clown)
Make you think that I don't care
When really I'm sad (Tears of a clown)
Hurtin’ so bad
Cryin’...
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah
[Verse 1]
Now if there's a smile on my face
It's only there tryin’ to fool the public
But when it comes down to foolin’ you
Now, honey, that's quite a different subject
But don't let my glad expression
Give you the wrong impression
Really I'm sad (Sad, sad, sad, sad)
Oh sadder than sad (I'm hurt so bad)
You're gone, and I'm hurtin' so bad (I pretend to be glad)
Like a clown, I pretend to be glad (Sad, sad, sad, sad)
[Chorus]
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
Oh yeah, baby
[Verse 2]
Now if I appear to be carefree
It's only to camouflage my sadness
In order to shield my pride, I’ve tried
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 (It's just a show)
Ooh oh
[Chorus]
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
[Bridge]
Just like Pagliacci did (The great pretender)
I try to keep my sadness hid
[Chorus]
Smiling in the public eye (The great pretender)
But in my lonely room I cry the tears of a clown
When there's no one around
Oh yeah, baby
[Outro]
Now if there's a smile on my face (Tears of clown)
Don't let my glad expression (Tears of a clown)
Give you the wrong impression
Don't let this smile I wear (Tears of a clown)
Make you think that I don't care
When really I'm sad (Tears of a clown)
Hurtin’ so bad
Cryin’...
more tracks from the album
From the albums
- Make It Happen (1967)
- One Dozen Roses (1971)
- The Allniter (1985)
- The 35th Anniversary Collection (1994)
- Crooklyn Volume 1 & 2 (Music From The Motion Picture) (1994)
- Ultimate Seventies: 1970 (2003)
- The Complete Motown Singles | Vol. 10: 1970 (2008)
- NOW That’s What I Call Motown [US] (2009)
- Hitsville: The Making of Motown (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack from the Showtime Documentary Fi (2019)
- NOW 100 Hits 70s [UK] (2020)
- Barack Obama’s Summer 2021 Playlist (2021)
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles popular songs
- The Tears of a Clown
- Ooo Baby Baby
- The Tracks of My Tears
- I Second That Emotion
- Much Better Off
- A Fork in the Road
- My Business, Your Pleasure
- My Love Is Your Love (Forever)
- Promise Me
- There’s A Sad Story Here
- Yes, No, Maybe So
- I’m on the Outside (Looking in)
- Doggone Right
- You Must Be Love
- I Don’t Blame You at All
- Abraham, Martin and John
- Going to a Go-Go
- Choosey Beggar
- It’s Christmas Time
- My Girl
- The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage
- Here I Go Again
- Point It Out (single version) (Mono)
- After You Put Back the Pieces (I’ll Still Have a Broken Heart)