Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah
Now if there's a smile on my face
It's only there trying to fool the public
But when it comes down to fooling 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, oh, I'm sadder than sad
You're gone and I'm hurting so bad
Like a clown I appear to be glad (sad, sad, sad, sad)

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, mm
Oh, yeah, baby

Now if I appear to be carefree
It's only to camouflage my sadness
In order to shield my pride, I try
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, ooh, oh (it's just a show)

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

Just like Pagliacci did
I try to keep my surface hid
Smiling in the public, I
But in my lonely room, I cry
The tears of a clown
When there's no one around, oh, yeah, baby
Now if there's a smile on my face
Don't let my glad expression
Give you the wrong impression
Don't let this smile I wear
Make you think that I don't care
When really, I'm sad
Hurtin' so bad

Copyright: Royalty Network, SMV Schacht Musikverlage GmbH & Co. KG, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Writer(s): Henry Cosby, Stevie Wonder, William Jr. Robinson