"Send in the Clowns": anyone know of an analysis or discussion of the lyrics of this Sondheim musical song?

Question

Before he died, my father asked for this song to be played at his memorial service (among others). I never had a chance to ask him why: does it reflect disappointment or disillusionment in his life? Or, on a lighter note--since he had a great sense of humor--was he trying to tell us not to be sad about his death? Do the lyrics reflect unrequited love for a man or woman? Exactly what do the words mean?

Answer 1

"Send in the Clowns" is a song by Stephen Sondheim, from the 1973 musical A Little Night Music. It is a slow, mournful ballad, in which the character Desiree reflects on the ironies and disappointments in her life.

Of Stephen Sondheim's more than 800 songs, this is the one that became a megahit. It achieved popularity with recordings by Frank Sinatra, Kenny Rogers, Judy Collins (whose version charted twice on the U.S. pop singles chart in the mid-1970s, reaching a high of #19), and by soulful song stylist Lou Rawls. Sondheim added a verse for a 1985 Barbra Streisand recording of the tune (featured on The Broadway Album, it became a #25 Adult Contemporary hit in 1986).

The song was written for actress Glynis Johns, who had a breathy voice and a limited tessitura—Sondheim wrote the song with short phrases and a small music range (only about an octave). The song is considered a jazz standard, performed famously by Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan, and the Stan Kenton Orchestra among others.

The title refers to a phrase reputedly used in a circus when an unforeseen disaster had occurred, with the clowns being sent in to distract the audience from the problem. Alternatively, the title could refer to the practice in vaudeville theatre of sending the clowns on to the stage to distract the audience after a particularly bad act, or to the practice of sending in clowns at a rodeo in order to divert danger from a fallen rodeo cowboy.

Answer 2

Lyrics Send In The Clowns

Answer 3

Send In The Clowns Lyrics

Answer 4

Send in the Clowns is like comic relief to a stressful life. When life gets you down, you want something to make you laugh, to interrupt your life with fun to relieve you from the more serious part of life. "Clowns" are important in life. They are a temporary "fix" in a busy life.