| Cathy's Clown | |
| Cover: | cathysclown.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | You Am I |
| Album: | Hi Fi Way |
| Released: | February 1995 |
| Studio: | Greene St. Recording, New York City |
| Genre: | Alternative rock |
| Length: | 2:25 |
| Label: | rooArt |
| Producer: | Lee Ranaldo |
| Prev Title: | When You Got Dry/How Much Is Enough |
| Prev Year: | 1994 |
| Next Title: | Jewels and Bullets |
| Next Year: | 1995 |
"Cathy's Clown" is the first single from the album Hi Fi Way by Australian rock band, You Am I. It was released in 1995 and was the band's first single to reach the Australian Top 40 singles chart, peaking at number 36.[1] It was listed at number 84 in the Triple J Hottest 100, 1995, an opinion poll of national radio station Triple J's listeners.[2]
In an interview with Jane Gazzo, Tim Rogers explained that the intro to Cathy's Clown is lifted from 'Everybody's Got Something to Hide" by The Beatles. "But the direct lift is from a version that the Hoodoo Gurus did on a live to air broadcast. Lyrically it's a mess, but the attempt was to get fictional about the job my then-partner Tracy was deep into. She was working at the State Library. She studied hard to get a senior position and her dedication to the profession was deeply impressive to me."[3]
"Hi-Way Fi" and "Gira E Respira" are You Am I originals (Tim Rogers), and the former track can be found on the Hi Fi Ways bonus live disc, Someone Else's Crowd. "In the Street" is a cover of Big Star's song, written by its members Chris Bell and Alex Chilton.