Humour in music

I humbly suggest "Dr. Robert" or "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" or "Run for Your Life" could serve--inexplicably, they seem to have been put out to pasture of late.

 

Todd Rundgren is my favourite lyrical/musical comedian, including Nazz.

This 'cover' always makes me smile:




Supergrass also have their moments.

 

“Clang clang, Maxwell’s silver hammer made sure the joke was dead...” Yep, could work.

 

Jonathan Coulton. Many songs that make me smile.

From his song, "Ikea":

Long ago in days of yore
It all began with a god named Thor.
There were Vikings and boats
And some plans for a furniture store.
It's not a bodega, it's not a mall
And they sell things for apartments smaller than mine
As if there were apartments smaller than mine

Ikea: just some oak and some pine and a handful of Norsemen
Ikea: selling furniture for college kids and divorced men
Everyone has a home
And if you don't have a home you can buy one there

 

You're Breakin My Heart and Jesus Christ You're Tall, both by Harry Nilsson.
That dude had a wicked sense of humor.
It showed up in lyrics too... like in Daybreak:
Here Comes the Daybreak
It's makin me cough
It's causing me heartburn
Its' pissin me off

Not exactly the way I would have thought Bela Lugosi to express himself.

 

NRBQ
Loudon Wainright III
John Hiatt specifically for "Tennessee Plates," a song of great wit that contains one of the best punch lines in the history of music.

 

Has no one mentioned Bon Scott yet? I still get a laugh from some of his lyrics, even after many repeated listenings.

 

Tiny Tim: The Viper

 

nuff said!

Did you laugh?

 

Or the violin in this sucker!

 

Bob Wills
("That's what I's talking 'bout." Remarks to break up Tommy Duncan)

 

Don't really love humor in music for the simple reason that to me jokes don't hold up to repeated telling as well as music holds up to repeated listening.
But I love me some Zappa and Arlo and put some humorous touches in my own songs, so I'm anything but consistent.

 

I haven't read through all six pages of this thread (and maybe they've already been mentioned) but the "Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers Live" album is pretty funny ("Hey, There, Little Insect," "I'm a Little Dinosaur," "Ice Cream Man" and "I'm a Little Airplane").

"I fly late at night
I got my little red light"

From "I'm a Little Airplane."

 

The Fabulous Poodles
Wreckless Eric

 

That was hysterical, thanks for posting it!

 

here's Dr. John with a funny one:

 

Shel Silverstein is always a favorite.

 

I can never hear this track now without thinking of the great climax to season 3 of Boardwalk Empire.

 

GOOOOD call. How could this threat have gotten this far without anyone remembering the dude.
I think he is possibly the greatest poet to ever have lived. And the most diversified. Certainly the most witty and clever.
How many other poets can lay claim to having written everything from skin rag whores to childrens books?
If ever there was a genius..................

 

The last time I laughed out loud at somebody's music was when I heard Jared Whitham Goes to Wall-Mart on a college radio station. To this day I'm not sure if I was just laughing at someone's mental illness or deliberate humor, and if the former is the case I offer my sincere apologies to Jared.

Always good times with Absolutely Free by FZ.

 

Surprised that no one has mentioned 10CC yet. They made some very funny and wry stuff, combined with extremely talented playing and great melodies.

Gorillaz can be very funny also.

The Who are one of those rare examples of a band that can alternate between being deadly serious at one moment and very funny afterwards. Both ways works for them.

I seem to remember Ben Folds Five also could be quite funny.

And of course Wierd Al...

 

Always loved this one.