The Clown That Cried

They dressed me up in colors bright
But all I saw was black and grey
They threw their roses at my feet
But none of them knew what to say
The crowd would cheer, the music played
I danced, I fell, I wore the lie
No one saw behind the curtain
Where I’d go alone to cry
They paid to see me laugh again
But I was dying on the inside
Painted smile and heavy hands
Yeah... I was the clown that cried
The makeup cracked, the lights went down
I bowed and whispered goodbye
They clapped for joy
But I just sighed
I was the clown that cried
They called me joy, they called me light
A walking joke, a harmless fool
But I was swallowing every fight
While dancin’ barefoot like a mule
The spotlight burned like judgment day
It never missed a tear I hid
And every laugh they stole from me
Just fed the hurt I never rid
They paid to see me laugh again
But I was bleeding on the inside
With every bow, I broke a bit
Still wore the mask with pride
The circus left, the colors bled
But none of them ever tried
To look beyond the painted face
Of the clown that cried
“Y’see, some people drown out loud. Me?
I did it in silence.
With glitter on my skin
And heartbreak in my shoes…”
They paid to see me laugh again
But I was buried deep inside
That little boy who once believed
Just sat down and quietly died
So if you see me on that stage again
With one last tear to hide...
Just know you clapped
For the clown that cried
“Thank you… for seeing the man, not the mask.”