I usually pick weekday songs for the blog based on some sort of theme and rely on my Random Weekends to surface the odds and ends.
But occasionally I happen upon a song in my daily adventures and want to find a place for it on the blog. Such was the case with today’s SOTD, Josh Rouse’s ‘Jersey Clowns.’
From the excellent album Subtitulo, this is a spare and quiet acoustic track about a man whose lady has stepped out on him while he’s away on business. It’s told from the perspective of his friends who dread having to break the news to him.
It’s all pretty straightforward, but I’m curious what people make of the title reference. What is a Jersey clown, exactly? I assume they are fellow losers (and I assume this guy is from Jersey).
That Danny’s crashed his Cadillac
He ain’t hurt anybody
At least he wasn’t drinking
He was just outside Detroit
You know his roads they are all broke
He can’t get any place
There ain’t no point in driving
He’s flying in today
He’s been all around the U.S.A.
He’s seen every state
At least twice
Who’s gonna break the news
That his lady’s run loose
You know it’s getting around
I’ve gotta tell him the truth
But, I don’t want to do it
Don’t want to bring him down
Cause being down
With some Jersey clowns
Can almost drive you insane
What a shame he’s been away
Cause he’s worked so hard
To pay those bills
He’s got two kids
From his marriage before
And I wonder what makes him stay
You know it ain’t the first time
She’s played him like this
A thousand times
It won’t be the last
Who’s gonna break the news
That his lady’s run loose
Yeah, it’s getting around
I’ve gotta tell him the truth
But, I don’t want to do it
Don’t want to bring him down
‘Cause being down
With some Jersey clowns
Can almost drive you insane
Tell the boys in the back
If they’ve got some room for Dan
I’m sure he’d be grateful
He’s coming home today
Who’s gonna break the news
That his lady’s run loose
Yeah, it’s getting around
I’ve gotta tell him the truth
But, I don’t want to do it
Don’t want to bring him down
‘Cause being down
With some Jersey clowns
Can almost drive you insane
Being down
With some Jersey clowns
Can almost drive you insane
Insane
Meet Me In Montauk 
I don’t think the clowns are fellow losers. My sense is that these are longtime buddies who probably have spent most of their time together being light and superficial, As they have grown older, their lives have taken on the seriousness and complexity of careers, relationships, marriages, kids, etc, yet, when they get together, they escape into the more trivial conversations and activities – maybe watching a game at a bar, swapping funny stories, etc. So basically, these are not the friends with whom you have a deep, meaningful emotional serious conversation. You don’t share that side of you with them and they don’t share that side of them with you. Thus, to deliver this kind of news and share that kind of awkward awfulness with the Jersey clowns could drive you insane.
Oh, and Josh Rouse – melancholy = Jack Johnson. 😄
No way… Rouse has dabbled in world music and jazz and released whole albums in Spanish. He’s definitely more eclectic than Johnson (at least based on what I know of Johnson, which admittedly isn’t much).
I’ll buy the Elliott Smith comparison, though.
I agree with Dana on his Jersey Clowns interpretation; can’t comment on the other comparison since I don’t know who they are 🙂