NBC Insider Exclusive

Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive show news, updates, and more!

Sign Up For Free to View
NBC Insider The Voice

The Voice's "Send in the Clowns" Performance From Edward Preble Fully Channels Sinatra (LYRICS)

"I closed my eyes and I thought Frank Sinatra was singing on stage,” Coach Snoop Dogg said.

By James Grebey
Edward Preble's Voice Is Classic Perfection on "Send In the Clowns" | The Voice Knockouts | NBC
Video thumbnail
Now Playing
2:09
Highlight
Edward Preble's Voice Is Classic Perfection on "Send In the Clowns" | The Voice Knockouts | NBC
Video thumbnail
1:56
Highlight
Barry Jean Fontenot Impresses Coach Bublé with "Haven't Met You Yet" | The Voice Knockouts | NBC
Video thumbnail
2:01
Highlight
Grace-Miller Moody Belts Out Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" with Her Whole Heart | Voice Knockouts | NBC
Video thumbnail
1:59
Highlight
Iris Herrera Delivers a Flawless Performance of Ray LaMontagne's "Jolene" | Voice Knockouts | NBC
Video thumbnail
2:00
Highlight
Lucia Flores-Wiseman's Unique Voice Reinvents Benson Boone's "Slow It Down" | Voice Knockouts
Video thumbnail
2:09
Highlight
Simone Marijic's Vulnerable Performance of Sara Bareilles' "She Used to Be Mine" | Voice Knockouts
Video thumbnail
2:06
Highlight
Dan Kiernan Bares His Emotions on Shontelle's "Impossible" | The Voice Knockouts | NBC
Video thumbnail
2:03
Highlight
Angie Rey's Gorgeous Voice on "Dirt Cheap" Earns Coach Bublé's STEAL | The Voice Knockouts | NBC
Video thumbnail
2:06
Highlight
Tinika Wyatt Lights Up the Stage with The Emotions' "Best of My Love" | The Voice Knockouts | NBC
Video thumbnail
1:56
Highlight
Ethan Eckenroad Shocks Coach Adam with Unexpected Version of "I Won't Back Down" | Voice Knockouts
Video thumbnail
1:57
Highlight
17-Year-Old Trevon Dawson Nails Brooks & Dunn's "Red Dirt Road" | The Voice Knockouts | NBC
Video thumbnail
3:51
Web Exclusive
Adam, Bublé, Kelsea and John Get Their Teams Ready for Incredible Knockouts | The Voice | NBC
Video thumbnail
3:23
Web Exclusive
Bublé and Kelsea Send Reba a Special Message and More Hilarious Outtakes | The Voice | NBC
Video thumbnail
6:32
Sneak Peek
BD.ii and Kolby Cordell's Show-Stopping Knockouts Make John's Decision Impossible | The Voice | NBC
Video thumbnail
6:29
Highlight
Trevon Dawson & Tyler Kae Put a Country Spin on Avril Lavigne's "I'm with You" | Voice Battles | NBC
Video thumbnail
5:27
Highlight
Dimitrius Graham & Divighn Deliver Perfect Harmonies on "Leave the Door Open" | Voice Battles | NBC
Video thumbnail
6:55
Highlight
Conor James and Tinika Wyatt's Gorgeous Performance Earns Kelsea's STEAL | The Voice Battles | NBC
Video thumbnail
2:13
Highlight
Jacquelyn George, Dan Kiernan and Page Mackenzie's Beautiful Voices Secure the Win | Voice Battles

It takes a lot of gumption to sing a song made famous by Frank Sinatra — a song called “Send in the Clowns” — without worrying that you’ll end up looking like a clown for trying to live up to Ol’ Blue Eyes. But, during the Knockouts of Season 26 of The Voice, singer Edward Preble wowed the Coaches with his cover of a track that’s a lot more of an oldie than most of the songs you hear on the show. 

How to Watch

Watch The Voice on Mondays at 8/7c on NBC and next day on Peacock. 

Preble, who joined Team Bublé following his Blind Audition, was up against two other talented singers, 17-year-old Shye, and 38-year-old J.Paul. Despite only being 19 years old himself, Preble explained that he was a fan of classic music of the sort Sinatra used to sing. 

“I want to show the younger generation this music,” Preble said ahead of his performance. “If I’m able to do that and then one day I can look around me and there are lots of different crooners and jazz singers, that would make me very happy.” 

As befitting an oldie like “Send in the Clowns,” Preble’s performance on The Voice stage wasn’t overly flashy. Instead, the young singer channeled his best Sinatra. 

The Voice's "Send in the Clowns" Knockout Showcased the Sinatra Classic’s Regretful Lyrics

“Isn't it rich? Are we a pair? Me here at last on the ground; You in mid-air,” Preble began. “Send in the clowns”

The song, which was originally written by Stephen Sondheim for the 1973 musical A Little Night Music, gained a second life as a popular ballad when Sinatra recorded a cover that very same year. It’s a soulful bit of whimsical self-pity, as the singer reflects on life’s little disappointments and how they’ve been made out to be a fool. 

“Isn't it rich? Isn't it queer? Losing my timing this late in my career?” Preble concluded. “And where are the clowns? There ought to be clowns. Well, maybe next year…”

“I closed my eyes and I thought Frank Sinatra was singing on stage,” Coach Snoop Dogg said.

Preble did not win the Knockout — Coach Michael Bublé gave that honor to Shye and her cover of Katy Perry’s “The One That Got Away” — but unlike the singer in “Send in the Clowns,” he had nothing to wallow in. Reba McEntire used her one steal to snatch Preble up, advancing him to the Playoffs. 

RELATED: “One of My Favorite Voices of All Time”: How “Exceptional” Shye Won Her Knockout

McEntire, who said that Preble had “such a mature soul” for still being in his teens, was excited to have the crooner on her team. 

“I loved Edward from the very beginning,” McEntire said. “He is a character, he’s got a great sense of humor… it’s going to be fun working with him.”

To find out what happens next, watch The Voice Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC and next day on Peacock. 

Sponsored Stories
Recommended by Zergnet