Neil Hamburger died last night
Took his own life, like we thought he might
He lived his life, under the lights
With a microphone, all alone
He may be in heaven or in hell
Who’s to tell, we say fare thee well
No more punchlines, no setting up
No more jokes, that’s all folks
And at his grave, no one came
No flowers laid, only the rain
And then suddenly the world looked around
No one was laughing anymore
What is life worth with no one laughing anymore
Millions marched down to his simple grave
They bowed their heads and they quietly prayed
They’d raise a monument
To the clown who was had been heaven sent
Could they trade for Clapton
Could they trade for Simmons
Our Clown was gone!
Released in 2001, “The Convincer” is a gentle gem in the Nick Lowe catalog; an anniversary edition provides opportunity for rediscovery. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 20, 2021