Tears Of A Clown

How good is Tears of a Clown on a scale of 1-10?


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    16
Can anyone with better English paraphrase the line "the false smile maketh of the man", or explain what it means? Thanks a bunch.
 
"maketh of the man" is not really a common phrase to my knowledge, "maketh not the man" is what I would be more familiar with, so I don't know if this is a mistake in the lyrics or not. It sounds like bruce could be saying either.

I think the jist of the lyric is that the "smile" is not a true indicator of Williams real emotions
 
I interpreted this in the sense that he was a man "made of false smiles" as opposed to actual smiles, i.e. a man who smiled falsely, so to speak, a man who was hiding his sadness most of the time behind the false smile.

You can see it in the interview on the previous page, he's talking about very serious subjects such as alcoholism and constantly using humor to describe those difficult situations.
 
The closest sayings I know of are 'manners maketh the man', (a man is judged/defined by his manners), or 'money maketh not the man' (wealth doesn't make you a good person). I'm not sure if they're trying to say RW/the protagonist was defined as the Funny Man by all because of his smile, or if the false smile summed up his entire character.
 
Anybody else think the line "Maybe it's all just for the best" is a bit weird in this song? Like they're suggesting his suicide was "for the best". Please tell me I'm just interpreting the line wrong.
 
I don't think you're misinterpreting the line at all. Maiden has never shied away from social commentary, and there is a legitimate point to be made - some people think that if you are suffering from major depression, just been given a dementia diagnosis, it might be okay for you to choose to end your life.
 
Anybody else think the line "Maybe it's all just for the best" is a bit weird in this song? Like they're suggesting his suicide was "for the best". Please tell me I'm just interpreting the line wrong.

I think that's exactly what the song is saying.
It's a phrase we often hear when someone passes after weeks of pain from terminal cancer.
A man living through decades of depression, maybe it is for the best.
 
10/10. One of my favorites on The Book Of Souls. Not in my top 3 of TBOS, but my favorite short rocker of TBOS!
This song was instantly my favorite short rocker from the 1st listen! Really a great song and a great lyrics! Always a treat to get to this song on the album.
 
I think that's exactly what the song is saying.
It's a phrase we often hear when someone passes after weeks of pain from terminal cancer.
A man living through decades of depression, maybe it is for the best.
Exactly. When someone who's been suffering from a very difficult illness for a long time passes away, there is a tiny bit of comfort in knowing that at least they're not suffering anymore.

Also, this particular theme is a connection between The Man of Sorrows and TOAC.
 
Exactly. When someone who's been suffering from a very difficult illness for a long time passes away, there is a tiny bit of comfort in knowing that at least they're not suffering anymore.

Also, this particular theme is a connection between The Man of Sorrows and TOAC.
Still, I think it makes more sense to interpret all the lines in the chorus as reflections of a depressed mind that is contemplating suicide. He describes it as a cloud that lingers over the mind day after day. Beautifully, Steve uses 'tomorrow' to show how, everyday, he loses his hope that the cloud would be gone the next day. It's been there since as far as he can remember and he can't even figure out the exact reasons behind it. Frustrated and weary, he wonders if it is best to just put an end to it all.
 
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Well-said Heretic, except the song is clearly about someone else - it's he, not me.
 
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Sometimes mid-tempo Maiden is the best Maiden.

I love this song and I find it to contain some of the catchiest vocal melodies the band has written in a long, long time. If this isn't a single, I'll be shocked.
 
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