Does Humor Belong in Music?

[Slarti]

.
I voted 'Yes' because humor in music is of all times ...

Even the classical composers like Mozart used innuendo (not the Queen song ) in their works.

And then of course there's the music of Spike Jones!


There are several songs that make me smile when i hear them or see the video:


- Monty Python: Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, Lumberjack Song

- Bobby McFerrin - Dont Worry, Be Happy

- Paul Simon - You can call me Al

- Avalanches - Frontier Psychiatry

- ??? - Star Trekking (a joke piece about Star Trek with all kinds of one-liners from ST, very funny!)

- Pharrell Williams - Happy!

[rp314]

Beyond the image of Mozart people tend to have from having seen the movie Amadeus, IMO there is lots of humor in the actual music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWPiNt8J3I4

There are no doubt versions of that aria with subtitles for those who might not get the gist of it as is, but to me Terfel is just so able to convey humor with such seemingly little effort.

[PatchAdamz]

It seems in the last several years, many new artist wave sprung up whose lyrics are un-intentionally laughable.

Since humor is already in music, why not intentionally allow it in music?


Intended:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAbZzdalZh4

UN-intended:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaeNelsAOGo

[nasenmann]

Does music belong in humor?

[nasenmann]

This is a rare case where the fish vote amounts to a strong yes

[Winstontaneous]

Keith Moon's drumming with the Who was hilarious, I especially love the fills in "Amazing Journey" starting around 0:46:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9U-7GdvuEc

Les Claypool's quick solo at 3:07 on the studio version of Primus' "Tommy the Cat" is one of the silliest things ever:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4OhIU-PmB8

Claude Debussy kicked off his 12 Piano Etudes by poking fun at the stiff, pedantic etudes that came before, and then proceeded to create some of the most expressive works in the piano literature:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FymZsN_NiB4

I know the title of the thread is a question asked by Frank Zappa.
IMO so many of the Zappa lyrics people think are funny, are just cruel exploitations of one-dimensional cliches. Ooh, let's get a laugh at the expense of hippies, rednecks, teenage prostitutes and divorced truck drivers.

[Shy]

Just listen to Elvis Presley - (You're the) Devil in Disguise. It makes me smile every time, if not laugh. Of course, there has been excellent folk and classical music hundreds as well as thousands of years ago, with humor either in lyrics, notes, sounds (tuba, anyone?), rhythms, style, all of those, or in how the notes, sounds, style or rhythms that aren't humoristic by themselves connect with lyrics that aren't humoristic by themselves, or with each other. Much of it is very "relistenable". Whether you do it well or not, is another question. Whether people like it or not, is another question. But whether it's "appropriate" or not ("belongs in"), is an overgeneralizing question when you apply it to music in general instead of specific musical works.

[rp314]

Sing!! Never mind the words.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0daS_SDCT_U

[jancivil]

Frank Zappa.
IMO so many of the Zappa lyrics people think are funny, are just cruel exploitations of one-dimensional cliches. Ooh, let's get a laugh at the expense of hippies, rednecks, teenage prostitutes and divorced truck drivers.

What you're missing is the empathy. Take 'Teenage Prostitute', you don't get that it's the society this is a symptom of he's after? Do you think people snigger at this song?

They give him thirty days in San Ber'dino

Well there's forty-four men
Stashed away in Tank C
An' there's only one shower
But it don't apply to Bobby

You may think they're
Dumb an' lonely
But you're wrong
'cause their love is strong

Stacked-up hair
An' a cheap little ring
They don't care
'cause it don't mean a thing

Looka there...
They don't care

Bestest way that
They can feel-o
Out on the highway
Rollin' a wheel-o
He's her tootsie
She's for real-o
Trailer park heaven
It's a real good deal-o

Frank did ten days in Tank C where there was only one shower.
In San Ber'dino.

______________________________________________________

Republicans is great if you're a multi-millionaire
Democrats is fair if all you own is what you wear
Neither of them's really right 'cause neither of them care
'BOUT THAT HOT PLATE HEAVEN
'cause they ain't been there



Here ya go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtZ6hjiJmTU

[V0RT3X]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95ubU3gEsio

[nasenmann]

they're flowing so well together! sweet. best buddies in music. more of that, tv? please?

regarding zappa: i rarely listen to lyrics attentively, neither with him, but i soak up any interview of his i can find.
and i have to agree on the empathy. it's hidden behind a wall of sharp sarcasm sometimes bordering on cynicism. you build up these walls when your idealism is crushed over and over.
but man, the empathy is there if you listen. lots of it. i can't really imagine it's not in the lyrics as well.

i think people's tendency to not take stuff seriously when it's mixed with a bit of gaga are part of why zappa tried to find other venues for making his opinion heard.

we kinda lost the way of the jester, a figure every bit as important as the bard. jester business is serious business, and hard business, cause you gotta deal with people considering you just a one-dimensional fool.

[Numanoid]

Zappa resurfaces as a miner in North Dakota ?

That guy really does look like him

[PatchAdamz]

Zappa resurfaces as a miner in North Dakota ?

That guy really does look like him

No, thats the Mayor of Prague.

[hibidy]

No

That was a joke

as long as you don't post grumpy cat, it's fine.