About The Song
“Pocket of a Clown” is a country song written and recorded by American artist Dwight Yoakam. It appears on his fifth studio album, This Time, which was released by Reprise Records on March 23, 1993. The track was recorded in 1993 and has a running time of approximately 2 minutes and 55 seconds. As a single, it was released in June 1994 and served as the fifth and final single taken from This Time.
The album This Time, produced by Pete Anderson and recorded mainly at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, marked a peak in Yoakam’s commercial success. It blended Bakersfield-influenced honky-tonk with rock and roots elements, reached No. 4 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, and was later certified multi-platinum. “Pocket of a Clown” came after a string of major hits from the same album, including “Ain’t That Lonely Yet,” “A Thousand Miles from Nowhere,” “Fast as You,” and “Try Not to Look So Pretty.”
On the charts, “Pocket of a Clown” achieved moderate but notable success. In the United States, it peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. In Canada, it performed even better, reaching No. 4 on the RPM Country Tracks chart and later appearing at No. 68 on the RPM year-end country chart for 1994. These results confirmed that even the fifth single from This Time could still gain substantial airplay in both markets.
Critically, the song was received positively. Billboard magazine’s Deborah Evans Price described “Pocket of a Clown” as a “nicely produced and jumping shuffle tune,” noting that while it might not be Yoakam’s single strongest composition, it still stood above much of the material on contemporary country playlists of the time. Retrospective write-ups on the album often highlight the song as an example of Yoakam’s ability to combine traditional country forms with a sharp sense of groove and arrangement.
Lyrically, “Pocket of a Clown” uses circus and clown imagery to describe emotional pain and loneliness. The phrase “inside the pocket of a clown” suggests a hidden, interior space where sadness is kept out of sight while the performer’s outward role is to entertain. Lines about smiles turning into frowns and hanging around in that metaphorical pocket underline the contrast between public appearance and private despair. This approach fits Yoakam’s broader interest in classic honky-tonk themes of heartbreak and disillusionment, presented through concise, accessible language.
Musically, the track is built on a shuffle rhythm with prominent electric guitar, steel guitar textures and a tight rhythm section, characteristic of Yoakam’s neo-traditional sound in the early 1990s. Pete Anderson’s production leaves space around the vocal while maintaining a driving feel suitable for radio. Yoakam’s vocal delivery, with its distinctive twang and phrasing, reinforces the bittersweet tone, balancing the song’s energetic groove with the melancholy suggested by the lyrics.
The music video for “Pocket of a Clown” was directed by Gregory R. Alosio. It received rotation on country music television outlets and contributed to the song’s visibility during its chart run. The track has since appeared on various compilations and continues to feature in discussions of Yoakam’s early-1990s output, illustrating how even his later singles from a major album cycle maintained both artistic coherence and commercial impact.
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Lyric
Inside the pocket of a clown
Is a sad place to hang around
Just watching smiles turn into frowns
Inside the pocket of a clown
Inside the heartache of a fool
You’ll learn things they don’t teach in school
And lessons there can be real cruel
Inside the heartache of a fool
Hollow lies
Make a thin disguise
As little drops of truth
Fall from your eyes
Hollow lies
Make a thin disguise
As little drops of truth
Fall from your eyes
Inside a memory from the past
Lives every love that didn’t last
And sweet dreams can start to fade real fast
Inside a memory from the past
Is a real sad place to hang around
Inside the pocket of a clown