Sometimes, you just need a break from the heavy stuff. Whether it’s a clever parody or a story that makes no sense, music has a long history of making people laugh. This list of funny songs covers everything from ’70s rock hits to modern viral tracks that prove songwriters don’t always have to be serious to be successful.
Note: I limited the list to one song per artist, which is why you won’t see multiple tracks from “Weird” Al or The Lonely Island.
Be sure to check out the Funny Songs Playlist at the bottom of this page.
Funniest Songs
1. “Business Time” – Flight of the Conchords
Lyric Sample: “You know when I’m down to my socks, it’s time for business, that’s why they’re called business socks.”
This 2008 comedy track is about the mundane reality of scheduled sex in a long-term relationship. Jemaine Clement uses a deadpan delivery to describe the least sexy preparations ever.
Related: Best Songs About Wednesdays
2. “She Don’t Use Jelly” – The Flaming Lips
Lyric Sample: “I know a girl who reminds me of Cher, she’s always changing the color of her hair.”
This ’90s alternative track is about people who use the wrong products for everything. One person uses Vaseline instead of butter on toast, another uses magazines to blow their nose, and someone colors their hair with tangerines.
3. “Peaches” – The Presidents of the United States of America
Lyric Sample: “Moving to the country, gonna eat a lot of peaches.”
This grunge-era hit is basically just an enthusiastic ode to canned fruit. It’s a catchy tune that doesn’t try to be anything other than a goofy track about snacking in the outdoors.
Related: “Peaches” Song Meaning
4. “Bust Your Knee Caps” – Pomplamoose
Lyric Sample: “Johnny, don’t leave me, you said you’d never leave me.”
“Bust Your Knee Caps” sounds like an upbeat jazz number, but the lyrics tell a much darker story about a mob family. It’s funny because the cheery vocals contrast with the threats of violence.
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5. “Welcome to the Internet” – Bo Burnham
Lyric Sample: “Could I interest you in everything all of the time?”
Taken from his 2021 special, Burnham breaks down the chaos of online life with terrifying speed. It starts silly, but then he goes on to describe how overwhelming and absurd the digital world can feel.
6. “Mooo!” – Doja Cat
Lyric Sample: “Got the methane, I’m a farter.”
What started as a viral meme became a legitimate hit for Doja Cat. It’s a ridiculous novelty track where she literally pretends to be a farm animal, proving that even funny rap songs can be successful.
7. “Jack Sparrow” – The Lonely Island ft. Michael Bolton
Lyric Sample: “Captain Jack (What?), Johnny Depp (No).”
The joke here is the total disconnect between the club-heavy rap verses and Michael Bolton’s obsessive singing about Pirates of the Caribbean. It’s one of the funniest songs to come from Saturday Night Live.
8. “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” – Monty Python
Lyric Sample: “For life is quite absurd and death’s the final word.”
From the 1979 film Life of Brian, this cheerful whistling tune plays during a crucifixion scene. Monty Python turned one of the darkest moments in history into an upbeat song about staying positive no matter what.
9. “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” – Rupert Holmes
Lyric Sample: “I was tired of my lady, we’d been together too long.”
While many initially think this is a romantic ’70s song, it’s actually a hilarious story about a couple both trying to cheat on each other. The unexpected twist still surprises new listeners decades later.
Related: “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” Song Meaning
10. “My Ding-a-Ling” – Chuck Berry
Lyric Sample: “My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling.”
Even rock and roll legends like Chuck Berry weren’t above a dirty joke. This 1972 recording is full of double entendres that made it a massive hit despite being totally scandalous at the time.
11. “Stacy’s Mom” – Fountains of Wayne
Lyric Sample: “Stacy, can’t you see? You’re just not the girl for me.”
This early 2000s power-pop hit is about a teenager obsessed with his friend’s attractive mother. The hook is incredibly catchy for a song about crushing on someone’s mom.
12. “Amish Paradise” – “Weird” Al Yankovic
Lyric Sample: “A local boy kicked me in the butt last week, I just smiled at him and I turned the other cheek.”
As the king of parodies, “Weird” Al took a serious rap track and turned it into a detailed look at life in a plain community. What really elevates it is that it perfectly mimics the original’s intense sound.
13. “Tribute” – Tenacious D
Lyric Sample: “This is not the greatest song in the world, no, this is just a tribute.”
Jack Black and Kyle Gass sing about facing off against a demon on a long road trip. They claim they sang the best song ever to save their souls, but this song isn’t that song.
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14. “Lunchlady Land” – Adam Sandler
Lyric Sample: “Well, yesterday’s meatloaf is today’s sloppy joes.”
Sandler created a bunch of classic funny songs early in his career, and this tribute to cafeteria workers is one of his best. It’s completely bizarre, moving from a story about the lunch lady to a dream she has about all the food she makes.
15. “Just a Friend” – Biz Markie
Lyric Sample: “You, you got what I need, but you say he’s just a friend.”
This 1980s hip-hop classic is about a girl who keeps insisting her male friend is just a friend. Biz Markie’s off-key singing in the chorus became iconic.
Related: Top One-Hit Wonders
16. “I’m Too Sexy” – Right Said Fred
Lyric Sample: “I’m too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt, so sexy it hurts.”
This ’90s dance track pokes fun at the vanity of the fashion world. The singer lists off all the things he’s “too sexy” for, including his car, his hat, and even the song itself.
Related: Funniest Karaoke Songs for Men
17. “It Wasn’t Me” – Shaggy ft. RikRok
Lyric Sample: “Honey came in and she caught me red-handed, creepin’ with the girl next door.”
Shaggy’s 2000 hit features a man who got caught cheating in every possible way. The premise is ridiculous: the man gets caught, but his friend advises him to just lie about it anyway.
Related: Best Songs About Cheating
18. “Start Wearing Purple” – Gogol Bordello
Lyric Sample: “All your sanity and wits, they will all vanish, I promise, it’s just a matter of time.”
“Start Wearing Purple” is a mid-2000s punk comedy song that jokes about aging, losing control, and embracing weirdness instead of fighting it.
19. “My Name Is Mud” – Primus
Lyric Sample: “My name is Mud, but call me Alowishus Devadander Abercrombie, that’s long for Mud.”
Primus is known for being weird, and this track is no exception. It’s a dark, rambling story told by a character who may or may not have just committed a crime.
20. “Mope” – Bloodhound Gang
Lyric Sample: “Go through National Geographic and draw panties on the natives.”
“Mope” is a chaotic mess of samples, including the “Pac-Man” theme and Metallica. It features the band’s signature gross-out humor and random pop culture references.
21. “Birdhouse in Your Soul” – They Might Be Giants
Lyric Sample: “Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch, who watches over you.”
Written from the perspective of a nightlight, this alt-rock song is incredibly clever. It’s a wholesome kind of funny that relies on a quirky concept rather than jokes or punchlines.
22. “Mixed Messages” – Tom Cardy
Lyric Sample: “One second, I say you’re very pretty, and then I show up at your house and I kick your dog, yeah.”
Cardy sings about the absurdity of modern dating by taking confusing behavior to a violent, nonsensical extreme. It’s a series of increasingly unhinged actions, including an obsession with attacking his love interest’s father.
23. “Pregnant Women are Smug” – Garfunkel and Oates
Lyric Sample: “Everyone knows it, nobody says it, because they’re pregnant.”
The folk-comedy duo calls out the specific type of superiority some people feel when they’re expecting. They sing about how some women start acting like they’ve reached a higher state of being just because they’re having a baby.
24. “One Piece at a Time” – Johnny Cash
Lyric Sample: “I’ve never considered myself a thief, but GM wouldn’t miss just one little piece.”
Cash tells the story of an assembly line worker who steals car parts for 20 years. By the time he puts the car together, it’s a Frankenstein monster of different model years.
Related: Best Songs About Cars
25. “I Wish” – Skee-Lo
Lyric Sample: “I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller.”
In a genre often about bragging, Skee-Lo took the opposite route in 1995. He spends the whole song complaining about his height and his beat-up car, making it a self-deprecating classic.
26. “Three Little Pigs” – Green Jellÿ
Lyric Sample: “Little Pig, Little Pig, let me in! Not by the hair of my chinny, chin, chin!”
This ’90s comedy-metal track retells the classic fairy tale with an aggressive, punk-inspired attitude. It includes a Rambo-style ending for the big bad wolf.
27. “One Week” – Barenaked Ladies
Lyric Sample: “Chickity China the Chinese chicken, you have a drumstick and your brain stops tickin’.”
“One Week” is famous for its random pop culture references and nonsensical lyrics delivered at rapid speed. The lyrics make almost no sense, but it’s incredibly catchy.
Conclusion
Laughter and music can go hand in hand, whether it’s through a clever parody or a story about stealing car parts. These tracks show that sometimes the best way to deal with life is to put it to a beat and find the joke in the situation.
If you enjoyed this list, you might also like our picks for Funniest Karaoke Songs for Men, Songs About Food, and Songs About Revenge.
