Writing Funny Songs is a uniquely rewarding and challenging endeavor. With years dedicated to creating satirical music infused with humor, I’ve learned a few things about the process that I’d like to share. Consider this my take on what makes comedy music truly resonate.
If you’d rather have a custom funny song written for you, feel free to reach out!
Chris Tavener performing for Edge Studios Live
Finding Your Funny Bone: The Core Idea
Sincerity in comedy might sound counterintuitive, but grounding your funny songs in a relatable truth is a powerful starting point. Audiences connect deeply with genuine stories. When they sense authenticity, even in a humorous context, it creates a bond. The mental image of hilarious situations, whether they involve you, a character, or even themselves, sparks that crucial sense of relatability.
The saying “it’s funny because it’s true” holds significant weight in comedy songwriting.
Think about funny experiences you’ve lived, stories you’ve heard, or quirky observations you’ve made about the world around you. Don’t just state the event; walk your audience through it step by step. Paint a vivid picture with sensory details – the sights, smells, sounds, and every amusing detail you can recall.
Taking your audience on a journey with you is a sure way to win them over and get them laughing along.
Music itself can be a fantastic tool to amplify your comedic lyrics, or even create a humorous contrast. Imagine a song about a disastrously awkward date set to smooth jazz, or a ridiculously mundane call center experience transformed into a punk rock anthem.
The music isn’t just a backdrop; it’s another instrument in your comedic toolkit, ready to enhance the laughs.
Timing is Everything: The Art of Comedic Delivery
Just like in stand-up comedy, the pacing and timing of your lyrics are paramount when writing funny songs. Patience is key, especially when it comes to those killer punchlines. Building anticipation and allowing the humor to unfold gradually will make those comedic payoffs even more satisfying.
Setting up a verse that seems to be about one thing, only to completely shift the context in the chorus, is a brilliant technique for surprising your listeners. You’re playing with their expectations, and that moment of realization, the “aha!” moment, often triggers a wonderful reaction from the crowd.
This element of surprise is a core reason why songs like Tim Minchin’s ‘Prejudice’ and Monty Python’s ‘Every Sperm Is Sacred’ are so effective. They establish a seemingly straightforward premise, then flip it on its head with a shocking and hilarious chorus.
Learn to hold back, to wait for the opportune moment to reveal the comedic core of your song.
Wordplay Wizardry: Unleashing Linguistic Humor
Who doesn’t appreciate a well-crafted pun? Or a side-splittingly funny analogy? Wordplay is a cornerstone of many funny songs, adding layers of wit and cleverness to your comedic arsenal.
Once you have your core idea, it’s time to let your linguistic creativity shine. Thoughtful and inventive lyrics can create unexpected twists and turns for the listener. As mentioned before, surprise is a major ingredient in comedy, and wordplay is an excellent way to deliver it.
I often start by exploring common idioms and looking for ways to twist them into humorous and original forms. For instance, if you’re writing a funny song about an overly dramatic houseplant, you might say it acted like it hadn’t been watered since the Jurassic period! Maybe not the best example, but hopefully you get the idea.
In my song ‘Modern Romance (She’s So Drunk)’, I used a simile comparing clumsy, drunk couples in nightclubs to “ducks skating on ice.” It’s about finding those unexpected, slightly absurd comparisons that spark a chuckle.
Of course, not every funny song needs a pun, an idiom, or a simile. Overdoing any of these can become tiresome. The point is that linguistic tools are there to inspire you. They can be springboards to hilarious writing, adding texture and depth to your funny songs.
Stage Presence: Testing Your Funny Songs Live
Any seasoned stand-up comedian will tell you that the true test of a joke is in the live performance. You never fully know if a joke lands until you’re on stage, delivering it to a real audience. The same principle applies directly to funny songs. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding – or in this case, in the laughter of your audience.
Even experienced comedy songwriters and performers consistently test new material at open mics or smaller gigs to fine-tune their work and ensure it resonates. As I emphasized earlier, relatability is at the heart of successful comedy. Knowing whether a stranger will connect with your humor is something you can’t entirely predict in isolation.
Therefore, my strongest recommendation is to get out there and perform your funny songs live in some form.
It can be daunting at first, but there’s no feeling quite like realizing you’ve truly nailed it, standing in front of a laughing crowd who are completely engaged with what you’re doing.
It genuinely is an incredible sensation!
Inspiration from Comedy Song Masters
If you’re still searching for a starting point or simply need a boost of inspiration, immersing yourself in the work of comedy songwriters who’ve paved the way is invaluable. Learning from the best is a time-honored path to honing your own craft.
I wholeheartedly recommend exploring the music of these brilliant artists: Eric Idle (of Monty Python fame, known for whimsical and absurd humor), Victoria Wood (a sharp observer of everyday life with witty and relatable songs), Tom Lehrer (a master of satirical and mathematically-inclined comedy), Loudon Wainwright III (known for his autobiographical and often darkly funny songs), Tim Minchin (combining musical virtuosity with clever and provocative lyrics), Bo Burnham (a modern master of musical comedy with internet-age sensibilities), Tenacious D (the kings of comedic rock anthems), The Axis Of Awesome (for their ingenious four-chord song and parodies), Boothby Graffoe (a storyteller with surreal and observational humor), and Otis Lee Crenshaw (the comedic alter ego of Rich Hall, with country-tinged satire).
For a deeper dive into a specific regional flavor, I’ve also curated a playlist of the best in ‘British Comedy Music’. As a UK-based songwriter, I believe our little nation has made a significant contribution to this genre, with its own distinct comedic voice.
Click this link to explore the playlist and discover more funny songs.
Happy songwriting, and may your songs bring laughter and joy!
