Death Of A Clown by The Kinks

Album: Something Else By The Kinks (1967)

Charted: 3

Get the Sheet Music License This Song

In the July 2011 documentary Dave Davies: Kinkdom Come, Davies said this song resulted from him sitting at the piano and feeling unhappy with his life, that there should be something else. It was about disillusion, even though at the time he had fame, fortune, drugs and beautiful girls, there was something missing. He drew the analogy with a clown who makes everyone laugh but is really crying.
"Death Of A Clown" runs to 3 minutes 4 seconds, and is the second track on the Something Else album. Dave released it as a solo single on the Pye label in July 1967 backed by "Love Me Till the Sun Shines". Rasa Davies, who was then married to brother Ray, sang on the chorus.
By coincidence, one of the most famous clowns in history, Joseph Grimaldi, was born December 18, 1778 a few miles from where the Davies brothers grew up. Clowns celebrate his life with the Funeral of Grimaldi the first Sunday in February at All Saints Church, London. >>
Suggestion credit:
Alexander Baron - London, England, for all above
By 1967 Dave Davies had found the shine had begun to come off his late night carousing. "This song touches on that disillusionment," he told Q Magazine. "Am I just a party pleaser for everybody's amusement?"

Comments: 1

Roberta Trevisan from S?o Paulo, BrazilI remember that I've listened this song when I was a kid once or twice and made cry, don't remember exactly what year it happened really.

see more comments

Adam Duritz of Counting CrowsSongwriter Interviews

"Mr. Jones" took on new meaning when the song about a misguided view of fame made Adam famous.

AC/DCFact or Fiction

Does Angus really drink himself silly? Did their name come from a sewing machine? See if you can spot the real stories about AC/DC.

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

John WaiteSongwriter Interviews

"Missing You" was a spontaneous outpouring of emotion triggered by a phone call. John tells that story and explains what MTV meant to his career.

Graham ParkerSongwriter Interviews

When Judd Apatow needed under-appreciated rockers for his Knocked Up sequel, he immediately thought of Parker, who just happened to be getting his band The Rumour back together.

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin PopoffSong Writing

A talk with Martin Popoff about his latest book on Rush and how he assessed the thousands of albums he reviewed.