Clown (Korn song)

"Clown"
"Clown"
Single by Korn
from the album Korn
Released	July 12, 1995
Recorded	1994
Studio	Indigo Ranch Studios, Malibu, California
Genre	Nu metal
Length	4:36 (album version); 3:38 (radio edit);
Label	Epic; Immortal;
Songwriter(s)	Reginald Arvizu; Jonathan Davis; James Shaffer; David Silveria; Brian Welch;
Producer(s)	Ross Robinson
Korn singles chronology

"Clown" is a song by the American nu metal band Korn. It was released as the fourth single from their self-titled debut album on July 12, 1995.

Meaning

What inspired Jonathan Davis to write this song though, was an early gig in San Diego where a person in the audience was booing them and telling them to "go back to Bakersfield!" Jonathan knelt down to hear him and the guy took a swing at him. He missed and the band's manager assaulted him. The person was all tattooed and looked like a "clown" to Jonathan Davis, inspiring the title of the song and also the line "Hit me clown, because I'm not from your town."^[8] Preceding the song is a conversation with Korn fooling around at the song's recording, and in the conversation, one of the members says "I wish we could put 'Twist' on a fucking tape"; this references a track that would eventually appear on the band's next album Life Is Peachy. A quote taken from Korn's Who Then Now? video, which serves as an introduction for the music video:

I wrote a song about a guy in San Diego who took a swing at me. He's all "Fuck you! Go back to Bakersfield!" Well I didn't understand that, so I bent down and he tried to swing at me, and our road manager Jeff knocked his ass out, that song is Clown.^[9]^[10]

Music video

The video begins with the band walking in a hallway in El Segundo High School.^[11] There are shots of a clown balancing something on his nose. Soon, the band starts playing in a locker room which appears to be happening at night. Jonathan Davis is seen singing and, in some clips, he's sitting in a locker room inside one of the dry showers. With a few people spraying a little bit of water on his hair to tease him. This represents some of his painful experiences in high school of being teased. It also features the band in a gym with clips of jocks in their football jerseys and cheerleaders seen by someone in the halls. One of the cheerleaders goes into a bathroom and starts smiling in the dark room. She proceeds to brush her hair with her hands. Clips also show the band performing in a dark room. The video ends with the cheerleader in the bathroom taking off her shirt, showing a tattoo on her back which is the band's logo. The music video most likely could be them in the school after a football game at night.^[12] The music video was directed by McG;^[13] it first aired in April 1996, and by May it was in the top 50 rotation on MTV.^[14]

Track listing

US Radio Promo

CD5" ESK 6580^[15]

"Clown" – 4:36

Note: the back cover does not state which version this is. However, it's identical to the Radio Edit on the below European promo.

European Radio Promo

CD5" ESK 7735^[16]

"Clown" (Radio Edit) – 3:52

References

^ Small 1998, p. 16.
^ Arvizu 2009, p. 69.
^ "Indigo Ranch Studios - CDs and Vinyl at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-02-18.
^ Wiederhorn, Jon (July 1, 2013). "NOISEY VS. METALSUCKS - THREATEN MY FAMILY IF YOU MUST, BUT I STILL SAY KORN RULES". Vice.
^ McIver, Joel (2002). "How did we get to nu-metal from old metal?". Nu-metal: The Next Generation of Rock & Punk. Omnibus Press. pp. 10, 12. ISBN 0-7119-9209-6.
^ Thomas, Stephen (1994-10-11). "Korn - Korn : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-02-18.
^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Korn – Korn : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
^ Furman 2000, pp. 49–52.
^ "GEAR". Kornseed.cro.net. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-02-18.
^ "Korn - Clown". Shelf3d. Retrieved Feb 18, 2013.
^ Jonathan Davis Chat 12/9/00 "https://web.archive.org/web/20030206032845/http://www.kornkids.com/chats/jonathan-chat-12-09-00.htm"
^ "Korn - Clown". VEVO. October 25, 2009. Retrieved Feb 18, 2013.
^ "Korn "Clown"". Scotthen Riksen. Archived from the original on February 25, 2012. Retrieved Feb 17, 2013.
^ "Video Monitor". Billboard. May 18, 1996. p. 81. ISSN 0006-2510.
^ "Clown US Radio Promo (ESK 6580)". Korn.simpol.net. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
^ "Clown European Radio Promo (ESK 7735)". Korn.simpol.net. Retrieved November 20, 2011.

Works cited

Arvizu, Reginald (2009). Got the Life. William Morrow. ISBN 978-0-06-166249-2.
Furman, Leah (2000). Korn: Life in the Pit. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 1466809299.
Small, Doug (1998). Korn: The Story of Korn. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0825618045.

External links

Lyrics^{[permanent dead link‍]}
Music Video on YouTube

[FOOTNOTESmall199816-1] Small 1998, p. 16.

[FOOTNOTEArvizu200969-2] Arvizu 2009, p. 69.

[3] "Indigo Ranch Studios - CDs and Vinyl at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-02-18.

[4] Wiederhorn, Jon (July 1, 2013). "NOISEY VS. METALSUCKS - THREATEN MY FAMILY IF YOU MUST, BUT I STILL SAY KORN RULES". Vice.

[McIver-10-5] McIver, Joel (2002). "How did we get to nu-metal from old metal?". Nu-metal: The Next Generation of Rock & Punk. Omnibus Press. pp. 10, 12. ISBN 0-7119-9209-6.

[amg-6] Thomas, Stephen (1994-10-11). "Korn - Korn : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-02-18.

[7] Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Korn – Korn : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved October 17, 2012.

[FOOTNOTEFurman200049–52-8] Furman 2000, pp. 49–52.

[9] "GEAR". Kornseed.cro.net. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-02-18.

[10] "Korn - Clown". Shelf3d. Retrieved Feb 18, 2013.

[11] Jonathan Davis Chat 12/9/00 "https://web.archive.org/web/20030206032845/http://www.kornkids.com/chats/jonathan-chat-12-09-00.htm"

[12] "Korn - Clown". VEVO. October 25, 2009. Retrieved Feb 18, 2013.

[13] "Korn "Clown"". Scotthen Riksen. Archived from the original on February 25, 2012. Retrieved Feb 17, 2013.

[14] "Video Monitor". Billboard. May 18, 1996. p. 81. ISSN 0006-2510.

[15] "Clown US Radio Promo (ESK 6580)". Korn.simpol.net. Retrieved November 20, 2011.

[16] "Clown European Radio Promo (ESK 7735)". Korn.simpol.net. Retrieved November 20, 2011.

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Clown (Korn song)

Meaning

Music video

Track listing

US Radio Promo

European Radio Promo

References

Works cited

External links

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