{"id":34954,"date":"2023-11-13T18:10:15","date_gmt":"2023-11-13T17:10:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/5a28c7a1-9961-41f0-9f2e-a02f702d2051"},"modified":"2023-11-17T15:41:30","modified_gmt":"2023-11-17T14:41:30","slug":"funniest-songs-ten-of-the-best-humorous-songs","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/funniest-songs-ten-of-the-best-humorous-songs\/","title":{"rendered":"Funniest songs: ten of the best humorous songs"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Hannah Nepilova\n <\/p>

Published: Monday, 13 November 2023 at 17:10 PM<\/p>

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It\u2019s easy to forget, since classical music is often associated with a somewhat serious brand of artistry, that some of the funniest people on this planet were classically trained musicians. Here, in no particular order, are some of their funniest musical offerings.<\/p>

Playing for laughs: how comedians use classical music<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul>
Funniest songs<\/h2>
1. ‘The Gas Man Cometh’ by Flanders and Swann <\/h3>
The stars were aligned when, in 1948, the lyricist, actor and singer Michael Flanders joined forces with the composer and pianist Donald Swann in a musical partnership. The songs and light operas that emerged from the duo rank amongst the funniest ever to come out of Britain. <\/p>
This one, satirising the stereotypical British tradesman, is my personal favourite. The singer calls in the gas man to fix his gas supply; he promptly tears out the skirting boards. So, the narrator calls in a carpenter, who nails through a cable and puts out the lights. <\/p>
Next in is the electrician, who puts his foot through the window while standing on a bin to reach the fuse box. When the glazier comes to fix the damage, his putty and blow torch necessitate a visit from a painter, who paints over the gas tap\u2026.and we\u2019re back to where we started.\u00a0<\/p>
<\/div><\/figure><p>And for something a little more modern, take a look at this update by Michael Dunn, written in tribute to the age of smart meters.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-creative-connectivity wp-block-embed-creative-connectivity\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"SgkCgZVu2s\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nickhunn.com\/the-smart-gasman-cometh\/\">The Smart Gasman Cometh \u2013 a Smart Metering Song<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"\u201cThe Smart Gasman Cometh \u2013 a Smart Metering Song\u201d \u2014 Creative Connectivity\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nickhunn.com\/the-smart-gasman-cometh\/embed\/#?secret=DLsvpY7pfn#?secret=SgkCgZVu2s\" data-secret=\"SgkCgZVu2s\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"\/><\/div><\/figure><h3 id=\"h-2-catalogue-aria-from-mozart-s-don-giovanni\">2. ‘Catalogue Aria’ from Mozart’s <em>Don Giovanni<\/em><\/h3><p>As famous for its text as for its music, this darkly comic bass aria from <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/mozart\">Mozart<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s<em> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/recordings\/mozarts-don-giovanni-best-recordings\">Don Giovanni<\/a><\/strong><\/em> is sung by the servant Leporello to Giovanni\u2019s jilted lover Elvira, in an attempt to encourage her to forget his master. Against a busy and light-hearted musical background, Leporello details Giovanni\u2019s endless sexual conquests around the world (\u2018In Italy, six hundred and forty; In Germany two hundred and thirty-one; A hundred in France; in Turkey, ninety-one; But in Spain already one thousand and three)\u2019. Anyone will do, he says, as long as she wears a skirt.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe title=\"Don Giovanni \u2013 Catalogue Aria (Gerald Finley; The Royal Opera)\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cojYjrKeAU4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><h3 id=\"h-3-slander-aria-from-rossini-s-the-barber-of-seville\">3. ‘Slander Aria’ from Rossini’s <em>The Barber of Seville<\/em><\/h3><p>One of the highlights of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/gioachino-rossini\">Rossini<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s <em>The Barber of Seville, <\/em>the music of Don Basilio\u2019s aria about the power of rumour and slander ingeniously mirrors its subject matter. <\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/four-best-rossini-recordings\"><strong>Four of the best Rossini recordings<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul><p>It starts out slow and furtive, much like the gossip it describes. But it then gathers pace, gradually growing into a thing of formidable force. And while you\u2019re admiring its musical inventiveness, it\u2019s impossible not to laugh at Basilio\u2019s ridiculous pomposity and sense of paranoia.<\/p><p>We named The Barber of Seville one of our five <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/best-operas-for-beginners\">best operas for beginners<\/a><\/strong>. <\/p><h3 id=\"h-4-ill-wind-by-flanders-and-swann\">4. ‘Ill Wind’ by Flanders and Swann<\/h3><p>Another Flanders and Swann classic here, this one about a pilfered horn set to the tune of the Rondo from Mozart’s Horn Concerto\u00a0No. 4. Yes, you know the one. \u201cI once had a whim and I had to obey it, To buy a French horn in a second-hand shop.\u201d\u00a0 <\/p><p>With its tongue-twisting lyrics and schoolboyish charm (\u201cMy neighbour’s asleep in his bed I’ll soon make him wish he were dead I’ll take up the Tuba instead! WHA WHAAAAAAAAAA!\u201d), it\u2019s still as razor sharp as ever, which is impressive given that it\u2019s now well over half a century old.<\/p><h3 id=\"h-5-love-unrequited-from-gilbert-and-sullivan-s-iolanthe\">5. ‘Love Unrequited’ from Gilbert and Sullivan’s <em>Iolanthe<\/em><\/h3><p>A fairy commits the crime of marrying a mortal. Twenty five years later, her half-human, half-fairy son wishes to marry a mortal \u2013 a crime punishable by death. <\/p><p>On the face of it, this storyline from <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/best-gilbert-and-sullivan-operettas\">Gilbert and Sullivan<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s 1882 opera seems far removed from reality. Yet, the characters and emotions they express are immediately relatable, and nowhere more so than in this aria, describing the sleeplessness brought on by unrequited love. <\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe title=\"Nightmare Song from Gilbert & Sullivan's Iolanthe \u01c0 English National Opera\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/64lewe9DdQg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><p>\u201cWhen you’re lying awake with a dismal headache, and repose is taboo’d by anxiety, I conceive you may use any language you choose to indulge in, without impropriety; For your brain is on fire \u2013 the bedclothes conspire of usual slumber to plunder you: First your counterpane goes, and uncovers your toes, and your sheet slips demurely from under you.\u201d\u00a0 As descriptions of insomnia go, I\u2019ve never seen a wittier one.<\/p><h3 id=\"h-6-i-am-the-very-model-of-a-modern-major-general-from-gilbert-and-sullivan-s-the-pirates-of-penzance\">6. ‘I am the very Model of a Modern Major General’ from Gilbert and Sullivan’s <em>The Pirates of Penzance<\/em><\/h3><p>Widely considered to be Gilbert and Sullivan\u2019s most famous song, ‘<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/modern-major-general-lyrics\">I am the very Model of a Modern Major General<\/a><\/strong>\u2019 is believed by some to be a caricature of general Sir Garnet Wolseley. Who he? One of Britain\u2019s most famous 19th century generals, who served as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces from 1895 to 1900: that’s who. <\/p><ul><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/best-musical-theatre-composers\">Ten of the best: musical theatre composers<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul><p>It might also be inspired by General Henry Turner, an uncle of Gilbert’s wife who Gilbert disliked. Or, indeed, it could be an amalgam of both. Whatever its origin, it is very funny.\u00a0 <\/p><p>My favourite verse: \u201cI can tell undoubted Raphaels from Gerard Dows and Zoffanies \/ I know the croaking chorus from the Frogs of Aristophanes \/ Then I can hum a fugue of which I’ve heard the music’s Din afore \/ And whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense <em>Pinafore<\/em>.\u201d<\/p><h3 id=\"h-7-the-vatican-rag-by-tom-lehrer\">7. ‘The Vatican Rag’ by Tom Lehrer<\/h3><p>Written in response to the Second Vatican Council, a meeting that proposed reforms to the Catholic Church, ‘The Vatican Rag’ shocked audiences with its ruthless swipes at Catholic rituals such as confession, the Eucharist, and Rosaries. <\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe title=\"Tom Lehrer - The Vatican Rag - fabulous version - LIVE FILM From Copenhagen in 1967\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pvhYqeGp_Do?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><p>According to an eyewitness account, the Spanish actor Ricardo Montalb\u00e1n once approached Tom Lehrer after a performance of the song, yelling: “I love my religion! I will die for my religion!”. To which Lehrer responded: “Hey, no problem, as long as you don’t fight for your religion.\u201d Controversial or not, ‘The Vatican Rag’ is one of Lehrer\u2019s cleverest songs, displaying the ingenuity with which he manipulated melody, rhythm and language in the service of cutting satire.<\/p><h3 id=\"h-8-in-uomini-in-soldati-from-mozart-s-cosi-fan-tutte\">8. ‘In Uomini, in Soldati’ from Mozart’s <em>Cosi fan Tutte<\/em><\/h3><p>One of the highlights of <em>Cosi fan Tutte, <\/em>Mozart\u2019s opera about fianc\u00e9-swapping, this naughty Act I aria finds the maid Despina advising Dorabella and Fiordiligi to take new lovers while their betrotheds are away.\u00a0 <\/p><p>Telling her mistresses that one cannot expect men, especially soldiers, to be faithful, she goes on to describe men as fickle creatures who use women only for pleasure. She concludes that women should only be faithful to themselves. <\/p><p>In another composer\u2019s hands, such an aria could come across as depressingly cynical. In Mozart\u2019s, it sparkles with humour and charm.<\/p><h3 id=\"h-9-little-miss-britten-by-dudley-moore\">9. ‘Little Miss Britten’ by Dudley Moore<\/h3><p>Benjamin <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/benjamin-britten-composer\">Britten<\/a><\/strong> was allegedly so upset by this parody of his music that he refused to ever speak to Dudley Moore ever again. Which is a sure sign that it hit close to the bone. <\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe title=\"Dudley Moore Little Miss Britten.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KdmoxlqQQ4c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><p>Watch the excerpt below and you\u2019ll notice how the musical comedian manages to send up both Britten and the tenor Peter Pears at the same time, highlighting Pears\u2019s idiosyncratic pronunciations and nasal sound, as well as Britten\u2019s penchant for dramatic repetition. It\u2019s uncanny.<\/p><h3 id=\"h-10-caro-nome-from-verdi-s-rigoletto-performed-by-victor-borge\">10. ‘Caro Nome’ from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/giuseppe-verdi\">Verdi<\/a>‘s <em>Rigoletto<\/em>, performed by Victor Borge<\/h3><p>Variously nicknamed ‘the Clown Prince of Denmark’, ‘the Unmelancholy Dane’ and ‘The Great Dane’, Victor Borge was widely considered to be the funniest man in classical music – and the most resourceful. This was someone who, despite not speaking a word of English when he moved to America from Denmark in 1940, managed to quickly adapt his jokes to the American audience, learning English by watching movies. <\/p><p>Watch the video below to get a sense of his unique comedic brand, mixing physical gags and virtuosity on the piano.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Hannah Nepilova Published: Monday, 13 November 2023 at 17:10 PM It\u2019s easy to forget, since classical music is often associated with a somewhat serious brand of artistry, that some of the funniest people on this planet were classically trained musicians. Here, in no particular order, are some of their funniest musical offerings. 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Funniest songs<\/h2>