There is no other voice in my life who I have heard, that has grabbed my heart like Susan, she is unbelievable to me, and my hubby, we can listen to her all day!
Her dream to become a professional singer came true because she took a chance and the fact she really IS a professional singer!! I could listen to Susan sing ALL day!!
Beautiful. My grandfather used to play this song on his record player. So many memories. Its an instant cry though, its just so beautiful. Susan did a great job.
Sondheim's greatest song; I was comaring versions and thought not to trouble with this as I suspected it would be sugary, but I found an original arrangement, unsticky, clear, longing, and I really don't think anyone else has sung it this beautifully. It's unusual to find the complete version too, as done or the stage. Brava.
Bless her my mom was a Clown “Fun World Alley” was her group and Josie the Clown was her Clown name this was the beautiful message I sand her into heaven she had dementia ad fell spent her last week on this earth in hospice Lake Wales Advent health. and this beautiful song she would listen to and enjoy and love thank you Susan Boyle
Isn't it rich? Are we a pair? Me here, at last, on the ground You in mid-air Send in the clowns Isn't it bliss? Don't you approve? One who keeps tearing around One who can't move Where are the clowns? Send in the clowns Just when I'd stopped opening doors Finally knowing the one that I wanted was yours Making my entrance again with my usual flair Sure of my lines No one is there Don't you love farce? My fault, I fear I thought that you'd want what I want Sorry, my dear But where are the clowns? There ought to be clowns Quick, send in the clowns What a surprise! Who could foresee? I'd come to feel about you What you felt about me Why only now, when I see That you've drifted away? What a surprise What a cliche Isn't it rich? Isn't it queer? Losing my timing this late in my career And where are the clowns? Quick, send in the clowns Don't bother They're here
I didn't know this song had that one part where it says "who could have foreseen..." and then ends with "what a cliche". I've only heard it the other way. Thank you so much for posting ALL of the words! God bless!
This is my 4th or 5th cover of the song in the last few hours, and I found myself thinking that very same thing, that she was just delivering what he meant it to say. And so...clearly.
The rewritten lyrics was done by none other than the maestro himself, Sondheim. The genesis goes like this: when Streisand started to prepare a new album of Broadway show tunes in the mid-eighties, not coincidentally, Sondheim was given top priority. It isn't difficult to understand why as when Streisand first tried her luck on Broadway in the late fifties, three of her mentors, among many others, were Bernstein, Laurents and Sondheim. As we all know, the trio, along with the equally legendary Robbins, was responsible for the monumental success of the Broadway musical, West Side Story. This trio was not just the most creative intellectuals in the great white way but also in American history. Naturally, Streisand was inspired as much as she was intimidated by this trio, by their the-sky-the-limit creativity, their enormous grasp of everything about art. But, she put off recording the Sondheim songbook after she became a huge star, thinking that she wasn't sophisticated enough to decipher the meaning that lay beneath the melody and lyrics of Sondheim. However, after directing the movie Yentl, she thought she was ready, thus the album "THE BROADWAY ALBUM". At first, Streisand didn't want to sing Send In The Clowns, knowing full well that the warhorse had been recorded to death by tons of traditional song stylists, including heavyweights like Sinatra and Collins, who made it a huge radio single hit. Nevertheless, Streisand also understood that Send In The Clowns remained the most commercially viable song in the Sondheim canon, the majority of which comprised of esoteric cockamamie compositions, save for Broadway queens, even ardent music lovers could not easily sing along. In a stroke of genius, Sondheim came up with a solution that pleased Streisand no end: he agreed to revise the song to make it more accessible since Streisand had told him earlier that when the song was sung out of context it was unfathomable. Thus, the rewritten lyric premiered by Broadway's finest female singing artist. It's great honor for both parties.
Wow, thankyou. Extraordinary to think that Streisand was unnerved by it until Yentl. Susan's version is amazing. One of her best. But I'm bawling my eyes out; what she was expressing through her emotions and voice hit me on a soul level. It had been 5 years since listening to it and I didn't understand my reaction. Until I really listened to the lyrics, which I can't believe I'd never really bothered to before, or to understand. Susan does. It hit me so deeply, her voice, every nuance of her emotions, and I now know why.
I always loved the video by the Muppets , with Judy Collins . This video has lovey photos but where are the clowns ? Oh well at lest the song is being sung buy a women with the voice of an Angel !
Her voice is exquisite but where's the oboe in the orchestra? Judy Collins sang this in 1975 with an oboe in the orchestra. Can't match that rendition.
Bien chanté avec une voix parfaitement tenue mais... sans étincelle ! En comparaison, l'interprétation de Dame Judi DENCH lors des PROMS 2010 est bouleversante et d'une incroyable mélancolie.
Marguerite Portalier superbement chanté par Suzan mais par contre l'interprétation de Glenn Close est plus émouvante que celle de dame Judy bravo à toutes
Sorry, but with lyrics filled with such depth and complexities, the overall meaning of the song is completely blank when it's just song like this. Her cover of Bring him Home is much better.
Whilst I have no complaint about Ms Boyle's voice, the depth and meaning of the words are lost here (noting also the awful rewritten lyrics). For instance the line "Don't you love farce" has none of the intended irony. The song was written for Glynis Johns who had a limited vocal register and is almost spoken - it is not served well when it is "sung". Vocal beauty is not what is required rather the voice of an actor delivering lines giving full expression to the meaning of the text.
She is not a performer Alan, You need to understand that studio recording is completely different from "broadway performance" She did an amazing job with the song. This is Susan Boyle unless you are expecting another or comparing apples with bananas.
Whatever!!! Susan you did a great job! Thank you for sharing to us... your maaaaaannnnyyyyy fans all over the world your gift from God. I also would like to say as Piers...."what a voice?" Just keep going Susan dear! This is the moment....forget all the odds...Inspire us all the more!!😉😊😚😍
Well I know what its about because I went and read up on it a couple of days ago. Im not really into musical theatre and i've been asked to learn this song. Of those i've listened to so far, I prefer this rendition the best. I don't care if doesn't convey an obvious irony. I haven't heard Glynis Johns do it as yet though.
I sort of agree with Alan. Not much feeling and expression in the rendition. Who do you think does the best rendition of this song? Many have done it, including Sandler and Young and Shirley Bassey.
Missing the irony of the song entirely. Written lyrics did not match song being sung. Slides of nature, fall, little girl had NOTHING TO DO with this song! Terrible.
