☝️ Key Points
- The song is about a man who feels betrayed when he sees the person he has lost his heart to talking to another man.
- It is a metaphor for how someone puts their happiness in the hands of another person.
- The song lyrics also express loneliness and loss as the man leaves the Ferris wheel and watches the person he has lost his heart to walk away with another man.
Interpretation
"The Comedians" by
Roy Orbison is about a man sitting alone on the Ferris wheel and telling his sad story. The lyrics describe how he thought someone would leave him hanging for a while, but then he sees that person talking to another man who has the lever to bring him down. It's a metaphor for how someone has control over his happiness in the hands of another person.
The man feels betrayed and sad about how the world can be stopped at the command of that person. He finds the laughter and joy of that person cruel, as it drowns out his own feelings. Though his heart aches, he is still awake when dawn breaks. Instead of toasting with his absent friends, he spends his time with these comedians who cannot comfort him.
The lyrics also express the loneliness and loss that the man feels. He can barely hear the music from the carousel and sees the lights gradually go out. It's time to leave the Ferris wheel, and he watches as the person he has lost his heart to walks away with another man.
Overall, "The Comedians" is about the weight of loss, the feeling of betrayal, and loneliness. It's an emotional song that makes listeners identify with the protagonist's pain.