The Apotheosis of Whistles the Clown The Apotheosis of Whistles the Clown
The Apotheosis of Whistles the Clown The Apotheosis of Whistles the Clown
Artwork by Monckat monckat Bandcamp YouTube YouTube achrananth Tumblr Achrananth Twitter monckat.net Other ← The Ballad of Moro and San Previous cover art by this artist
By Ucklin
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Released 4/13/2025.
Duration: 3:00.
Listen on Bandcamp or YouTube.
Read artist commentary.
Tracks that The Apotheosis of Whistles the Clown references: Tracks that this one references:
Lyrics:
Life is feeling like a circus lately
And I'm lying on the floor of all 3 rings
Try to see the bright side
Blinded by the light of the spectacle
It stings
And we came here to escape the natural order
Now we're jammed into a corner
And the paint is on us, No hope of escape
And finally I looked at you and saw it
How your smile defies all logic
There is nothing wrong here
You know that we're safe
In the places God put clouds
You see cotton candy
Balloons are doomed to pop
But you still think they're dandy
To the calliope's cacophony
You hum in perfect harmony
What can I say?
I wish you ran the world
I'll shout it to the stars
I wish you ran the world.
If this friendship is a game, I'm losing
And I'm working up the nerve to play the fool
Wish I could find the right card
Here to speed the flight of my fancy, a rule
But we left behind the reason at the border
All that's left is a recorder
Playing shrill reposts and
Putting them to tape
But somehow though I'm sick and tired of running
All your nonchalance is stunning
And I'm shocked to find
There is nowhere but here
In the places God put clouds
You see cotton candy
Balloons are doomed to pop
But you still think they're dandy
To the calliope's cacophony
You hum in perfect harmony
What can I say?
I wish you ran the world
I'll shout it to the stars
I wish you ran the world.
Artist commentary:
Whistles the eternally pure hearted virtuoso clown/sex worker/revolutionary messiah soars high above the paltry concerns of the world, in search of his one true guiding light: the unequalled, unimpeachable, and definitely un-cannibalistic Ringmaster Pendlecoat. Will his judgment bring joy or despair to his clownish allies Gumblin and Doodlebean? Find out in the next spectacular issue, which will be releasing to legions of adoring fans any day now! Any day now...
Completed or not, The Starlight Calliope remains my favorite thing Hussie's ever done, the art in particular having been deeply embedded in the bedrock of my own style since the day I first saw it. I've long hoped to see more fan media made for this comic, and this album seemed like a perfect opportunity to strong-arm a Whistles Musical Theme into existence. Ucklin of course exceeded all my expectations!
Monckat's incredible art was the impetus for me finally reading Whistles. As I did, I was trying to think of an angle for lyrics that would convey the most important parts of who Whistles is in his setting— In a way that wasn't so specific as to not have an emotional anchor in real life. I decided to through the eyes of someone who sees the best in him, Doodlebean, and to imagine what she might be enamored with in him. He's someone unwaveringly optimistic in an objectively dark world, and that's a trait I think can inspire awe when you feel grounded yourself. That's how I ended up with the chorus. Then, Monckat mentioned they originally imagined something darker and more like the band Clowncore to go with the art. Oh! Wellll... I didn't want to throw away the chorus, but I paired it with a much more stagnant and distorted verse, and a good old DVS sax bridge. I didn't plan it from the start, but I feel like that juxtaposition was lucky because it highlights how Whistles' optimism verges on unnerving!