Combining music and comedy in a way that doesn’t cancel out one or the other is no small feat. Funny songs aren’t always good enough to stand on their own as musical pieces. Conversely, good songs don’t always have the right timing to make them truly comedic.
Yet, somehow, these 1970s songs managed to combine the two art forms, proving that a song can be very funny and very good.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Monkberry Moon Delight” by Paul McCartney
Perhaps the funniest part about Paul McCartney’s 1971 track, “Monkberry Moon Delight”, is the vocal affectation the former Beatle adopts to sing the song. Something about hearing the same man who wrote such poignant songs like “Let It Be” and “Blackbird” growling out the words “cantata” and “tomato” is so absurd that it warrants a chuckle. Musically speaking, the song is fantastic, catchy, and also features a sweet call-and-response moment with his wife, Linda McCartney.
“King Tut” by Steve Martin and The Toot Uncommons
Say what you will about the inclusion of a Saturday Night Live number in this list of funny songs from the 1970s, but “King Tut” by Steve Martin is as earwormy as it is hilarious. Sure, part of that comedy comes from imagining Martin in his Egyptian getup, doing that ridiculous, shoulder-shrugging dance. But between that and the memorable hook and one-liners, “King Tut” definitely earned this spot.
“Money” by Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd’s 1973 track, “Money”, from Dark Side Of The Moon is funny in that kind of wry, dry, ultra-English kind of way. The song itself is an undeniable groove (on an album full of incredible tracks). But if you listen closely to the lyrics, Roger Waters was slipping in dig after dig about capitalism and everyone’s frantic scramble for more money. “Money, so they say, is the root of all evil today / But if you ask for a rise, it’s no surprise that they’re giving none away.”
“Werewolves Of London” by Warren Zevon
Finally, Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves Of London” is another 1970s song that is funny in a morbid and sardonic kind of way. Lines about a “werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand” looking for a “big dish of beef chow mein” make this song sound like a follow-up to Bobby Pickett’s “Monster Mash”. Yet, the 1978 song is a great listen year-round, not just Halloween season.
Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images