Village Clown

[Verse 1] I met him once, just passin’ through, Diesel and dust clingin’ like truth. Twenty years on the blacktop line, East to west, leavin’ no roots behind. Laugh like thunder, but it’s just a disguise, Hidin’ the storm rollin’ deep in his eyes. [Verse 2] He’s quick with a quip when the night gets cold, But you feel the weight in the stories told. Eyes dart away when the silence grows, Like he’s scared of the places his heart still knows. Every mile, he’s stitchin’ the seams, Of a life unravelin’ behind the dream. [Chorus] He’s the Village Clown, wearin’ that crown, Keepin’ the whole damn world from frownin’ down. But the jokes he throws are just cover fire, From a boy still searchin’ through the barbed wire. Longing for love he’s never found, Drivin’ on, he’s the Village Clown. [Verse 3] Wisecracks fly like confetti in rain, But the colors fade when you see the pain. Still tryin’ to matter, still tryin’ to prove, That the road ain’t all he’s got left to lose. In the cab of that truck, in the dashboard glow, He’s a one-man show no one gets to know. [Chorus] He’s the Village Clown, wearin’ that crown, Keepin’ the whole damn world from frownin’ down. But the jokes he throws are just cover fire, From a boy still searchin’ through the barbed wire. Longing for love he’s never found, Drivin’ on, he’s the Village Clown. [Bridge – soft, with steel guitar swell] Some hearts hide in the rearview haze, Some keep runnin’ ‘til they lose the days. But the hurt don’t fade on the interstate, You just learn how to laugh through the heavy weight. [Final Chorus – full band build] He’s the Village Clown, wearin’ that crown, Keepin’ the whole damn world from frownin’ down. But the jokes he throws are just cover fire, From a boy still searchin’ through the barbed wire. Longing for love he’s never found, Yeah, he’s still rollin’… the Village Clown. [Outro – slow fade] Diesel and dust… and a lonesome sound, Headlights cuttin’ through another town.