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#1

One-man Comedy Songs??

Hi,
I'm looking at a funny one man comedy song, realtively clean in humour. Broadway would be great. Funny and performing like. For a coffee house..

Or if you know a song that isn't Broadway that is funny, even playable on the guitar, let me know. Something a stand up comedian might do.
#2

re: One-man Comedy Songs??

I'd look into the work of Mike Rayburn. He's not on Broadway but I saw him perform years ago and he's incredibly funny.
"All our dreams can come true -- if we have the courage to pursue them." -- Walt Disney We must have different Gods. My God said "do to others what you would have them do to you". Your God seems to have said "My Way or the Highway".
#3

re: One-man Comedy Songs??

A good clean comedy number, albeit a little corny, is "Confession to a Park Avenue Mother" from Herman's Parade.
Cole Porter also has a lot of great comedy songs, that are only occasionally slightly dirty:)
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco. Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
#4

re: One-man Comedy Songs??

Stephen Lynch has a few.
Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE
#5

re: One-man Comedy Songs??

Definitely second the Cole Porter suggestion. Although "The Tale of the Oyster" was originally written for a woman, I've seen it in various male compilation books and have used it to great effect!
"If there's any answer maybe love can end the madness, Maybe not, oh but we can only try..."
#6

re: One-man Comedy Songs??

If you are good at quick change characterizations, I would recommend "The Late Late Show" from Do Re Mi.


If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
#7

re: One-man Comedy Songs??

There's always Tom Lehrer, with "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" and others!
#8

re: One-man Comedy Songs??

How about 'I Am Aldolpho' from Drowsy Chaperone? I know the song calls for a couple of lines from the Chaperone, but you could probably work around that.


"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg." -- Thomas Jefferson
#9

re: One-man Comedy Songs??

How about "I Wanna be a Producer"
or "Betrayed" both from the Producers.
#10

re: One-man Comedy Songs??

Buddy's Blues can be done solo.
-Benjamin
--http://www.benjaminadgate.com/
#11

re: One-man Comedy Songs??

Look up Rob Paravonian's Pachelbel Rant. It is more of a comedy routine than a song, but he does sing. And play guitar. It is about how he hates the cello part for Pachelbel's Canon in D and how he can't get away from the song (err chord progression really). Hilarious, actually. Not that you would want to copy his routine, but it might give you some ideas!

www.robprocks.com/
#12

re: One-man Comedy Songs??

If you're doing a coffee house setting, "Taylor the Latte Boy" can be adapted quite well for a male, which also increases the humor. John Tartaglia's version is one of my all-time favorites.
"You're the worst thing to happen to musical theatre since Andrew Lloyd Webber!" --Family Guy

"Shut up! It's been 29 years!!!" --the incomparable Patti LuPone in her MUCH DESERVED Tony acceptance speech for Gypsy.

Kitzy's Avatar du Jour: Kitzy as Little Red Ridinghood in her college's production of "Into the Woods"
#13

re: One-man Comedy Songs??

Checkout: Tom Lehrer, The capitol steps, Mark Russell, and (Live at the Crystal Palace - Aspen has multiple albums that are hard to find except for ordering direct)
All the above are originally piano accompaniment, so you would have to arrange it for guitar.

For guitar based comedy songs checkout: Tom Paxton, Peter & Lou Berryman, Christine Lavin, Steve Goodman.

Peter & Lou:
1. "Your state name here" making fun of travelling musicians that try to win the audience over by mentioning their state in a song.
2. "Don't use the F-word with your mother" could be sung by a man defending his wife
and so many more...

Steve Goodman:
1. Vegematic - About a guy who falls asleep with the TV on and what happens 4 to 6 weeks later.
2. "Talk Backwards" a tongue twister song about talking backwards.
3. "Watchin' Joey Glow" your son exposed to radiation.
So many more...
If you want to make fun of Cubs fans he has "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request"

It has been so long I can't remember the names of Tom Paxton and Christine Lavin songs to recommend.

I am sure all the funny songs of The Chad Mitchell Trio, The Limeliters and Kingston Trio could be done solo. There are dozen of possibilites there.



Updated On: 3/7/08 at 12:25 PM

#14

re: One-man Comedy Songs??

For sure Tom Lehrer....also Howard Crabtree's WHEN PIGS FLY, especially the Patriotic Finale (The Color Out of Colorado as it's sometimes called)


Lehrer has:

Vatican Rag
Poisoning Pidgeons
Maschotism Tango
National Brotherhood Week
Smut
Don't Drink The Water
So Long Mom (I'm off to drop the bomb)




It was done as a musical review some years back called ThomFoolery, so sheet music might exist.


#15

re: One-man Comedy Songs??

What about "A Miracle Would Happen" or "Shiksha Goddess" from The Last Five Years?
#16

re: One-man Comedy Songs??

Great Big Stuff from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels could work, you may need to clean up few words depending on your crowd.
"I wish the stage were as narrow as the wire of a tightrope dancer, so that no incompetent would dare step upon it." Goethe
#17

re: One-man Comedy Songs??

check out Stephen Lynch's cds. If I remember correctly a majority, if not all, of his songs are done on guitar-mainly acoustic. And they're all very funny!
http://two-sails.blogspot.com/
#18

re: One-man Comedy Songs??

Yeah, Stephen Lynch's material is really funny... I also though he was great in The Wedding Singer.
"I wish the stage were as narrow as the wire of a tightrope dancer, so that no incompetent would dare step upon it." Goethe

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