Poetry Corner: a few words from the circus

Anybody who thinks the circus is cheerful has another think coming

Life has been more than a little crazy for me lately, to the point that I feel I am part of a circus, in which there is so much chaos. So today I am featuring two songs that I sang in my high-school choir many long years ago, and that have resonated with me especially well lately.

The first is from Stephen Sondheim’s musical A Little Night Music, and it has been interpreted by many artists over the years. The second-to-last verse has been omitted in many recordings, including those by Frank Sinatra and Joan Collins; Barbra Streisand included the verse in her recording. The syncopated 12/8 rhythm makes the song even more poignant.

Send In The Clowns

words and music by Stephen Sondheim

Isn't it rich,
Aren't we a pair
Me here at last on the ground,
You in mid-air
Send in the clowns

Isn't it bliss,
Don't you approve
One who keeps tearing around,
One who can't move
Where are the clowns?
Send in the clowns

Just when I stopped opening doors
Finally knowing the one that I wanted was yours
Making my entrance again with my usual flair
Sure of my lines - no one is there

Don't you love farce,
My fault I fear
I thought that you'd want what I want,
Sorry my dear
But where are the clowns
There ought to be clowns
Quick send in the clowns

What a surprise,
Who could foresee?
I've come to feel about you what you felt about me
Why only now when I see that you've drifted away
What a surprise, what a cliché

Isn't it rich, isn't it queer
Losing my timing this late in my career
And where are the clowns
Quick send in the clowns
Don't bother; they're here.

The second piece was made famous by Melissa Manchester in the late 1970s. I had to do some digging to find the writers of the song. It doesn’t have the sophistication of Sondheim’s work, but it does have the poignancy.

Don't Cry Out Loud

words by Carol Bayer Sager, music by Peter Allen

Baby cried the day the circus came to town
'cause she didn't want parades just passin' by her
So she painted on a smile and took up with some clown
While she danced without a net upon the wire
I know a lot about 'er 'cause, you see
Baby is an awful lot like me

Don't cry out loud
Just keep it inside, learn how to hide your feelings
Fly high and proud
And if you should fall, remember you almost had it all

Baby saw that when they pulled that big top down
They left behind her dreams among the litter
The different kind of love she thought she'd found
There was nothin' left but sawdust and some glitter
But baby can't be broken 'cause you see
She had the finest teacher-that was me-I told 'er

Don't cry out loud
Just keep it inside and learn how to hide your feelings
Fly high and proud
And if you should fall, remember you almost had it all

Don't cry out loud
Just keep it inside and learn how to hide your feelings
Fly high and proud
And if you should fall, remember you almost made it

Don't cry out loud
Just keep it inside and learn how to hide your feelings
Fly high and proud
And if you should fall, remember you almost had it all

Yeah, I’ve been a bit depressed lately. And the miscues and miscommunications haven’t made things any easier. My life feels like a circus, and not the happy, cheerful side of the circus. It’s the tawdry, out-of-control backside of the circus.