The Joker (Anthony Newley song)

"The Joker" is a song by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, from the 1964 musical The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd.

Plot

The song is a lament of a person, seen by the outside world as a jester and a comedian especially when they fail, who inwardly feels tremendous pain. The person ultimately accepts their fate, noting that someone is in the same position in every society. In the musical, the song—sung by the lead, Cocky (played by Newley in the original American production)—leads into the Act One closer, "Who Can I Turn To?"

Recordings

• Anthony Newley, on the original cast recording
• Sammy Davis Jr., on the album Sammy's Back On Broadway (1965)
• Bobby Rydell, on the TV show Shindig!
• Sérgio Mendes, on the album Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 (1966)
• Wes Montgomery, on the album A Day In The Life (1967)
• Shirley Bassey, on the album This Is My Life (1968)
• Jackie Trent and Tony Hatch, on the album The Two of Us (1968)
• Fred Travalena, as a lip-sync performance on the 1989 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (in character as the DC Comics villain of the same name)
• Mark Trevorrow, on the album It's About Time (2004)
• Gina Riley, for the opening theme to the Australian sitcom Kath & Kim, the full recording of which appeared on the soundtrack album Kath & Kim's Party Tape (2004)
• Lady Gaga, on the album Harlequin (2024), a companion album to the film Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)