Heard this for the first time last night on the Tonys. Out of the versions I’ve heard, Catherine Zeta Jones is my favorite, followed closely by Frank Sinatra. If I like someone singing over Sinatra, that’s pretty insane.
Send in the Clowns is a term used in theatre when things go horrible. ”Send in the Clowns, they’ll save the show,” or something to that effect. The excrement hits the air conditioning (thanks Vonnegut), and this song is the result.