Artist: Smokey Robinson and The Miracles
Song: Tears of a clown
Music: Stevie Wonder & Hank Cosby
Lyrics: William 'Smokey' Robinson
Album: Make it happen
Tabbed by: DJ
20th July 2014
CAPO: 1st fret (Sounds in the key of Db)
Chord names and fret positions are relative to the capo:
C = x32010 or x35553 G = xx5433
F = 133211 E/Ab = xx6454
Bb = x13331 Am = x02210
Fmaj7 = 133210
*********************************************************
[Intro]
C
e |---0--------------------|-------------------| [x2]
B |---1--------------------|-------------------|
G |---0-------0----0--h2---|--h3--2--0---------|
D |---2---3----------------|------------3--2---|
A |---3--------------------|-------------------|
E |------------------------|-------------------|
[Verse 1]
C F Bb F C F
| / / / / | Oh, yeah, yeah - yeah!
Bb F C F Bb
Now, if there's a smile u - pon my face,
F C F Bb
It's only there trying to fool the public,
F C F Bb
But when it comes down to fooling you,
F C F Bb F
Now, honey, that's quite a different subject,
C F Bb F
But don't let my glad ex - pression...
C F Bb
Give you the wrong im - pression!
[Verse 2]
F C F Bb F
Really, I'm sad--------, hoh, sadder than...
(Sad, sad, sad, sad!)
C F Bb F
...Sad------! You're gone, and I'm hurting so...
(I ...hurt ...so ...bad!)
C F Bb F
...Bad! Like a clown I pre - tend to be...
(I pre - tend ...to be ...glad!)
C F Bb F
...Glad!
(Sad, sad, sad, sad!)
[Chorus]
G E/Ab
Now, there's some sad things known to man,
Am Fmaj7
But ain't too much sadder than the tears of a...
C
...clown--------, when there's no one
e |---0--------------------|------------------------|
B |---1--------------------|------------------------|
G |---0-------0----0--h2---|--h3--2----0------------|
D |---2---3----------------|----------------3----2--|
A |---3--------------------|------------------------|
E |------------------------|------------------------|
C
a -round------! Um -hum!
e |---0--------------------|------------------------|
B |---1--------------------|------------------------|
G |---0-------0----0--h2---|--h3--2----0------------|
D |---2---3----------------|----------------3----2--|
A |---3--------------------|------------------------|
E |------------------------|------------------------|
[Verse 3]
C F Bb F C F
| / / / / | Oh, yeah, baby!
Bb F C F Bb
Now, if I ap - pear to be care - free,
F C F Bb
It's only to camou - flage my sadness,
F C F Bb
In order to shield my pride I've tried...
F C F Bb
...To cover this hurt with a show of gladness,
F C F Bb F
But don't let my show con - vince you,
C F Bb
That I've been happy since you...
[Verse 4]
F C F Bb F
...De - cided to go-------- oh, I need you..
(Why ...did ...you ...go?)
C F Bb F
..So, I'm hurt, and I want you to..
(I ...need ...you ...so!)
C F Bb F
...know, but for others I put on a...
(Want ...you ...to ...know...)
C F Bb F
...Show! Oo-oo, woh!
(...It's ...just ...a ...show!)
[Chorus]
G E/Ab
There's some sad things known to man,
Am Fmaj7
But ain't too much sadder than the tears of a...
C
...clown--------, when there's no one
e |---0--------------------|------------------------|
B |---1--------------------|------------------------|
G |---0-------0----0--h2---|--h3--2----0------------|
D |---2---3----------------|----------------3----2--|
A |---3--------------------|------------------------|
E |------------------------|------------------------|
C
a -round------! Oh, yeah---------!
e |---0--------------------|------------------------|
B |---1--------------------|------------------------|
G |---0-------0----0--h2---|--h3--2----0------------|
D |---2---3----------------|----------------3----2--|
A |---3--------------------|------------------------|
E |------------------------|------------------------|
[Verse 5]
C F Bb F C
Just like Pagli - ac - ci did, I try to...
(The great pre - tender---!)
F Bb F C F Bb
...keep my sadness hid, smiling in the public eye,
(Oo -oo, oo, oo-----!)
F C F Bb F
But in my lonely room I cry ...the tears of a...
(The great pre - tender!)
C
...clown--------, when there's no one...
e |---0--------------------|------------------------|
B |---1--------------------|------------------------|
G |---0-------0----0--h2---|--h3--2----0------------|
D |---2---3----------------|----------------3----2--|
A |---3--------------------|------------------------|
E |------------------------|------------------------|
C F Bb F C F
...a - round------! Oh, yeah, baby!
[Verse 6]
Bb F C F Bb
Now, if there's a smile u - pon my face,
(Tears of a clown----------------!)
F C F Bb
Don't let my glad ex - pression,
(Doo -doo, doo, doo---!)
F C F Bb
Give you the wrong im - pression,
(Tears of a clown----------------------!)
F C F Bb
Don't let this smile I wear,
(Doo -doo, doo, doo---!)
F C F Bb
Make you think that I don't care,
(Tears of a clown-----------------------!)
F C F Bb
When really I'm sad----------,
(Doo-doo, doo,doo---!)
F C F Bb F
Hurting so bad--------!
(Tears of a clown--------------------!)
[Coda- Improvise vocal and repeat]
C F Bb F C
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