Humour in music

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Tangledupinblue, Jan 16, 2013.

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  1. Tangledupinblue

    Tangledupinblue Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    London, UK
    I personally feel that like in life, humour is a pretty important and sometimes undervalued component in music that doesn't always gets its due. While I don't think it's the be-and-end-all (some of my favourite artists/albums contain hardly if any humour at all) as certain styles are less suited for containing humour than others, it adds another human element, cheers us up, has emotional resonance, gives us something to think about and identify with (especially in providing quotable lyrics), adds surprise and depth, and just the right touch of cleverness to make us think the artist is doing more than just combine notes and sounds together. It's more than just providing light relief; like in the best TV and film comedy, it's multi-dimensional and can be in all kinds of forms, whether whimsical, surreal, observational, satirical, character-based, cutting and sardonic, gallows humour, or just plain fun. And humour doesn't always have to come from the lyrics - some of the best humour can be found from music itself, through the use of surprise, shock, parody or some out of left field audio gags - some of the great classical composers were masters at all this, with Haydn being probably the first real purely musical humorist, as well as others like Beethoven, Schumann, Ravel, Prokofiev and Charles Ives - and Frank Zappa is one of popular music's great humorists.

    Some of my favourite examples of both observational and character-based humour come in The Kinks and Pulp (both a very British type of humour, which makes them all the more identifiable for me) - Lola vs Powerman and the Moneygoround is an excellent example of how both lyrical and musical humour (with The Kinks' typical use of musical hall and other parodies) can be successfully combined, as well as the more sardonic and sneering kind in Bob Dylan. And though not always necessarily "ha-ha funny", a lot of punk rock has plenty of fun and humour, notably the Ramones and Buzzcocks, and the Descendents' Milo Goes to College is often very juvenile, but in a good way. And in The Replacements, their quirky vocals (kind of like a punk-crazed Michael Stipe, very aptly described by Mats writer Michael Azerrad as a "raw-throated adolescent howl,") combined with their self-deprecating lyrics ensures for plenty of humour, as well as moments like that honky tonk piano and deliberately fumbled ending in Androgynous, to name but one song.

    Of the darker kind of humour, I've always found the Pixies pretty hilarious in a sick and twisted kind of way, particularly on Surfer Rosa and while Pink Floyd aren't widely renowned for humour, Animals (especially Pigs) has plenty of wit of the trenchant yet relatable kind. Dead Kennedys' Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables is especially notable for its vitriolic and politically charged humour, with its obvious antecedents in the Sex Pistols, but IMO with much better melodies and cleverer songwriting. Finally, there's no shortage of dark humour in Tom Waits; listen to disc 3 of Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards for some great examples of his macabre wit.

    So, what kind of humour do you most value in music? Feel free to post your favourite examples, as well as discuss any of my above points and others you'd like to add.
     
  2. Lownote30

    Lownote30 Bass Clef Addict

    Location:
    Nashville, TN, USA
    I like humor that requires a brain to get. Zappa comes to mind. Music that takes itself too seriously tends to turn me off. Another example, in the vein of dark humor, would be solo John Entwistle records. Especially the first two he did. I also like very obvious humor like Carl Stalling (WB cartoon composer), or Spike Jones. I also love They Might Be Giants who give you humor in a brainy yet almost nonsensical way.
     
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  3. 1970

    1970 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oregon USA
    Great post!

    And may I add Robyn Hitchcock.

    .
     
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  4. Martin Mull
     
  5. Urban Spaceman

    Urban Spaceman Forum Eulipion

    The Bonzo Dog Band, The Fugs and The Dead Milkmen.
    ------ Chris
     
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  6. Tangledupinblue

    Tangledupinblue Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    London, UK
    Oh and The Shaggs, even though it's pretty obvious we're laughing at them rather than with them.
     
  7. davmar77

    davmar77 I'd rather be drummin'...

    Location:
    clifton park,ny
    although he's known as the king of doom and goom, richard thompson has some very funny stuff and is also quite entertaining in that area on stage especially when he does solo shows.
     
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  8. davmar77

    davmar77 I'd rather be drummin'...

    Location:
    clifton park,ny
    yea but i'll never forgive him for accusing me of stealing his wallet. (true story!)
     
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  9. Rodney Toady

    Rodney Toady Waste of cyberspace

    Location:
    Finland
    Humour purely by musical means is probably the most challenging kind of humour in music, both from the artist's and the listeners viewpoint (how to convey humour instrumentally, how to "decipher" it out of the musical content while listening), but it also has the potential of being the most rewarding kind. Musical humour can be realized in a myriad of ways, but it usually involves breaking of rules and conventions, surprising juxtapositions and downright eccentricism. Obviously Zappa comes to mind, but I'd also like to nominate Béla Fleck & The Flecktones - I think the sheer idea of a banjo-led electric jazz fusion group is utterly hilarious. Erik Satie was a master in creating great comedy by sound alone. There are lots of equally fantastic musical humorists around - I think each of you can make up your own examples.
     
  10. Robin L

    Robin L Musical Omnivore

    Location:
    Fresno, California
    The Bonzos and by extension the Rutles. Loudon Wainwright. Beethoven's Eight Symphony when the conductor doesn't try to straighten it out. The Hoffnung Interplanetary Festival, Jack Black, Dan Bern, Firesign Theater tunes, Ray Davies, Captain Beefheart, Slim Galliard, Thomas Pynchon lyrics, Spike Jones and his City Slickers, Harry the Hipster Gibson, Tom Waits, Louis Armstrong, Stan Freberg, Carl Stalling, Fats Waller, Dinah Washington, Haydn, Prokofiev, Frank Zappa, Bob Dylan . . .
     
  11. ladycat

    ladycat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Torrance CA USA
  12. lv70smusic

    lv70smusic Senior Member

    Location:
    San Francisco, CA
    Some of my favorite songs are funny because they are just so over the top lyrically and, usually, in terms of performance. Many "girl group" songs fit this description. How can someone not find something like this funny, unless you cannot appreciate dark humor:

    The Whyte Boots - Nightmare

    And, with that, I managed this post about this song in two separate threads here today!!!
     
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  13. dhoffa85

    dhoffa85 Well-Known Member

    King Missile, Ween, Butthole Surfers
     
  14. Craig

    Craig (unspecified) Staff

    Location:
    North of Seattle
    Nick Lowe
     
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  15. Slokes

    Slokes Cruel But Fair

    Location:
    Greenwich, CT USA
    Most everyone I listen to have their moments, but my favorite clown is probably Bootsy Collins. All his hits and most of his other tracks have something funny going on, musically and lyrically.
     
  16. Roger Thornhill

    Roger Thornhill Senior Member

    Location:
    Ilford, Essex, UK
    I really miss Warren Zevon...anyone that can pen this is OK in my book.

    Daddy's doing Sister Sally
    Grandma's dying of cancer now
    The cattle all have brucellosis
    We'll get through somehow

    or this.

    I'm very well aquainted with the seven deadly sins
    I keep a busy schedule trying to fit them in
    I'm proud to be a glutton, and I don't have time for sloth
    I'm greedy, and I'm angry, and I don't care who I cross
     
  17. Lethrus

    Lethrus Forum Resident

    Location:
    California, USA
    They Might Be Giants would be at the top of my list!
     
  18. Monosterio

    Monosterio Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Florida
    A few Louis Jordan numbers make me laugh out loud, "Beware" in particular. The guy had a great sense of humor, as did Louis Armstrong. And Sonny Boy Williamson was a hoot, especially when he mimicked his Chess stablemate Howlin' Wolf.
     
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  19. Witney Devil

    Witney Devil Well-Known Member

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Hayes Carll's "She Left Me For Jesus" always makes me smile
     
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  20. Yankee8156

    Yankee8156 Senior Member

    Location:
    New York
    Phish!

    The goofy lyrics, the tongue-in-cheek covers, the vocal jams. All a big part of why I love the band.
     
  21. greenwichsteve

    greenwichsteve Well-Known Member

    A lot of calypso and older reggae had plenty of humour, albeit of the nudge nudge wink wink variety. Also in that vein, Donovan's Intergalactic Laxative still makes me smile.
     
  22. Mark Knopfler (both with Dire Straits and solo) usually has one obviously tongue-in-cheek song per album. I like those ones - even Les Boys. If you think about it, Money For Nothing qualifies as the most tongue-in-cheek humorous song from that album - it was just a huge hit too. Most of the other ones on his other albums aren't necessarily the hits.
     
  23. anthontherun

    anthontherun Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago
    If it weren't for Weird Al, I wouldn't care about music.
     
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  24. Uncle Meat

    Uncle Meat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, Tx, US
    I love "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)" by the Beatles, has some Goon stuff in there.
    As someone already mentioned, some of Richard Thompson's stuff is funny, on "
     
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  25. Uncle Meat

    Uncle Meat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, Tx, US
    Live, Love, Larf & Loaf , "Hai Sai Oji-San" keeps me in stiches, funniest song ever, though I can't understand a word of it
     
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