The Clown That Cried

Thank you
For list them with their heart tonight
This one is for the ones who smile when they are breaking
For the ones nobody sees
Until it's too late

They dressed me up in colors bright
But all I saw was black and gray
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

You see, some people drown out loudly
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