My chorus teacher requires that we do a monthly analysis of a song or performance monthly, just so she can say we do something besides sing and laugh in the class. Here's my analysis of "Send in the Clowns", my favorite song.

"Send in the Clowns", a song by Stephen Sondheim for the 1973 Broadway musical 'A Little Night Music' has become Sondheim's most famous song, having been covered by artists like Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, and Judy Collins. And there's no question why this song has become so popular, the emotional depth that the lyrics hold and the simple yet beautiful melody that plays with it is both heartbreaking and warming.
The song, in the musical, is sung by Desiree Armfeldt, a selfish actress who once had an affair with a man named Fredrik when she was much younger. He proposed to her, but she rejected him, because she was "one who keeps tearing around", to quote the song, and she wasn't yet ready to settle down. Years later, they run into eachother at one of her shows. Fredrik is now married to his 18 year old trophy wife, a sweet yet not so bright girl named Anne who refuses to sacrifice her virginity to him, even after months of being married.
After being informed of this piece of information, Desiree agrees to 'save him' from that life of chastity, only as friends, but finds herself falling in love with him towards the end. She asks him to leave his wife and run away with her, and expecting that he would still love her as he did years ago, Fredrik says that his love for his wife is unbreakable.

Bitter, hurt, regretful, and altogether angry with herself for not having accepted his proposal of marriage to her much earlier in her years, she sings "Send in the Clowns", a song about their ironic relationship.
The phrase "Send in the clowns" is often used when something goes wrong in theater. If the show is going badly, send in the funny jokes to save the show from becoming a disaster. In this case, when Desiree says this, it means "My love life, this performance, is going so badly, it's a wreck. The only way to save it is by sending in comedy." Towards the middle of the song, she says "Quick, send in the clowns. Don't bother, they're here". This is the punch line of the song; she realizes that she and Fredrik are the clowns, the fools, and that they are the cause for this terrible performance that is her love life.

Some performers mistake the song for a ballad, but it's far from one. It's a song about the stoic disappointments Desiree is facing. She also shouldn't be crying, being an actress, she wants to put on a brave face and hold back the tears until Fredrik leaves, after reciting his monologue, before the last verse. The notes shouldn't be sustained for long, Stephen Sondheim said that it's written with such short phrases, she is overwhelmed with regret and is unable to speak for long. The song is often performed with Desiree wearing an ironic smile, she knows she's made a dreadful mistake of pushing Fredrik away while she was younger, and now she wants him but he won't take her. Lines like "Me here at last on the ground, you in midair" and "One who keeps tearing around, one who can't move" express this. They have now changed places, now he is the one in midair, infatuated with his new wife, and Desiree is the one at last on the ground.
The song ends on a somewhat happier tone. "There ought to be clowns. Well, maybe next year". She tries to see some light at the end of the tunnel. Ironically enough, the play ends with Anne running off with Fredrik's son (who happens to be older than she is) and he reunites with Desiree. They both get their wish at last.