This week, I’m listing my top five songs (at moment) that make me grin, smile or even laugh out loud. It won’t be a collection of parody songs, or songs by comedy acts, but by indie bands that take a stab at humor in their songs.
What’s good about the songs in this list is that, they’re not only witty, but pretty to listen to at the same time. So, perk up your ears and get ready to turn that frown upside down. 😉
1. They Might Be Giants – Mink Car
This song is a subtle start to the list. I know one person that would laugh out loud with this song though – my son, who laughs uncontrollably at any absurd, silly reference which includes (but is not limited to) – dogs that meow, pigs that fly, letter E’s that eat everything or maybe cars made of mink that’s driven by guitars. I have to admit, it’s more fun than funny – but a great listen in any case . There’s a sort of jazzy, lounge piano feel that you get with it, and with that little bit with the trumpets, it sounds just like classic Burt Bacharach. This, mixed with some psychedelic hydroponic crop fueled lyrics equals fun, fun times.
2. Loveninjas – She Broke His Penis In Two
I’m going from family-friendly, to outright graphic.
I’ve always liked the Loveninjas, from their love-at-first listen type of songs like ‘Keep Your Love’ to songs that have a more indirect approach at indecency like ‘Do Me’. Their song ‘She Broke His Penis in Two’ is a song that never fails to give me a smile when I listen to it, despite it’s direct and honest lyrics. It doesn’t have any explicit swear words and even uses the more medical and non-vulgar term for the male private part. Despite the violence described in the lyrics (she broke it, she cut, she sliced it and she fried it, she cooked it, she diced it) – there’s no blood or gore. It’s also delivered in a fun, shoe-tapping kind of way. Theirs is actually a song that imparts a very important lesson – a woman scorned, will get her revenge.
3. My First Earthquake – Designer Boyfriend
From the first beat, you know this song’s not going to be about anything serious. It does though, play like a comedy of errors telling a story of a girl that laments about her ‘designer boyfriend’. It’s like a Will and Grace scenario where Grace is still pining for Will, who she describes as being someone that ‘draws the line in some strange ass places‘. This song, is a song for any girl who’s ever been dumped by their man – for another man.
4. My Little Pony – Macgyver Blues
This is funny in a fascinating, interesting and silly kind of way. It might be an inside joke that only people who grew up in the era of Teddy Ruxpin can relate to. Norway’s My Little Pony, puts the same 80’s fueled inspiration that they put into naming their band into their song. I’m not sure if Macguyver still runs in syndication out there in Norway, but the whole song might be lost to the vast majority of the young generation here. Then again, to oldies like me, it’s a fun nostalgic trip when all you needed was swiss army knife, a toothpick and an elastic band to get you out of life and death situations.
5. The Magnetic Fields – Absolutely Cuckoo
The Magnetic Fields wouldn’t be The Magnetic Fields without injecting some humor in their songs. This is the first song that made me fall in love with this group, because it actually made me laugh out loud. You’ve got to have a good listening ear to appreciate the beauty of this song. Absolutely Cuckoo is a love song. It’s also a very honest yet self-deprecating love song, where the singer tells the object of his affection that he is absolutely cuckoo : crazy in love as well as plain crazy. My favorite part in the song is when he says that if his heart breaks, he might have to jump into a lake which may result in his friends blaming the said object of affection and there’s no telling what what his friends will do. All in all, humor definitely included – it’s quite the cute love song.
artwork : a Threadless Tee by Lim Heng Swee
