A clown — dressed in iconic white collar and red nose — has been confounding and startling residents of Staten Island. Indeed, SILive reports that sightings of the clown around the borough have prompted such tweets as "Bro I did a double take" and "The fact that there's some [expletive] dressing as a clown and roaming around Staten Island has me never wanting to leave my house."
One sighting was captured on video for our enjoyment:
Post by Vic Dibitetto.
Others have posted of our gentle friend's comings and goings on Instagram, sharing, for example, a quaint image of the clown emerging from an all-consuming darkness, adding that "I was driving home from Buffalo Wild Wings and saw this waving at me."
News of the clown sightings comes on the heels of a similar string of appearances around Northampton, England, although that clown was soon revealed be a British film student, as is wont to happen.
While this clown's motivations is, as of yet, still anyone's guess, it is clear that the vast majority of clowns only seek to entertain, and to delight.
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"Tears of a Clown"
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 sadder than sad
You're gone and I'm hurting so bad
Like a clown I pretend to be glad
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
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
Oh, I need you so, I'm hurt and I want you to know
But for others I put on a show
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, oh yeah
Just like Pagliacci did
I try to keep my sadness hid
Smiling in the public eye
But in my lonely room cry
the tears of a clown
When there's no one around
Oh, yeah baby
Now if there's a smile upon my face
Don't let my glad expression
Give you the wrong impression
Don't let the smile I wear
Make you think that I don't care
Really I'm sad I'm hurting so bad
WONDER, STEVIE/ROBINSON, SMOKEY/COSBY, HENRY
Published by Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing