Funny | 3 or 4 BOPS

In the 22^nd edition of 3 or 4 BOPS (2022), we select awesome songs that are associated with the word FUNNY in some form or fashion.

Ah, sometimes it’s better to keep things lite on the fat and calories 💪! That’s the goal of the miniature playlists gracing The Musical Hype.  On 3 or 4 BOPS, we select a topic or theme, choose three or four relevant songs, and provide a lit 🔥, electrifying blurb. 3 or 4 BOPS shouldn’t take too much time to consume – typically 5 minutes or less! In the 22^nd edition of 3 or 4 BOPS (2022), we select awesome songs that are associated with the word FUNNY in some form or fashion.  Without further ado, let the BOPS begin!

1. Father John Misty, “Funny Girl”

💿 Chloë and the Next 20^th Century • 🏷 Sub Pop • 🗓 2022

When it comes to singer/songwriter extraordinaire 🎙 Father John Misty (Josh Tillman), there’s NEVER a dull moment.  Tillman is an unpredictable songwriter in many ways, which is part of his charm.  In January 2022, Mr. Tillman returned with 🎵 “Funny Girl”, an unexpected single from 💿 Chloë and the Next 20^th Century.

“Funny Girl” sounds like a long-lost torch song – easy listening or traditional pop. Based upon much of the music he’s released as Father John Misty in the past, this is a stark contrast.  Here, Tillman is accompanied by a sophisticated, lush backdrop including dreamy strings, upright bass, piano, and wind instruments.  One of my favorite moments of the record is the instrumental section which features the ‘big-band’ winds contrasting with pizzicato strings.  Despite the surprising sound, the songwriting is tried-and-true Tillman. “Funny girl, you look so unassuming,” he commences the first verse, continuing, “Right up until the room you’re captivating / Starts to fill with gut-busting laughter / And you’re transformed into a five-foot Cleopatra.” What a killer allusion! Ultimately, “Funny Girl” is an utterly sublime way to kick off his 💿 Chloë and the Next 20^th Century era, not to mention January 2022!

Appears in 🔻:

• Awesome Songs: January 2022
• 15 F Songs: No Rhyme or Reason, Vol. 2

2. Charlie Puth, “That’s Hilarious”

💿 Charlie • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 2022

“You took away a year / Of my fuckin’ life / And I can’t get it back no more.” WOO! 🎙 Charlie Puth doesn’t kick off his third studio album, 💿 Charlie hilariously in the least on 🤩 🎵 “That’s Hilarious”.  If you go into this slickly produced single expecting Puth to crack jokes you’ll be sorely disappointed.

The 🏆 Grammy-nominated artist is angry at HER. “You didn’t love when you had me / But now you need me so badly / You can’t be serious (Ha-ha-ha) / That’s hilarious (Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha).” He’s not lying when he says, “Thinkin’ I would still want you / After the things you put me through / Yeah, you’re delirious.” “That’s Hilarious” sets the tone for Charlie, which finds Charlie much more emotional than he’s shown in the past.

3. Father John Misty, “Pure Comedy”

💿 Pure Comedy • 🏷 Sub Pop • 📅 2017

“The comedy of man starts like this / Our brains are way too big for our mother’s hips / And so nature, she divines this alternative.” Wow – those lyrics are deep, man! 🎵 “Pure Comedy” is the centerpiece of 💿 Pure Comedy, the critically acclaimed, 2017 album by 🎙 Father John Misty (Josh Tillman).  The title track sets the tone of the album, both lyrically and musically. The lyrics are ambitious and pure genius, finding Tillman referencing societal issues including women’s rights, religion, and politics.

“We emerged half-formed and hope that whoever greets the other end

Is kind enough to fill us in

And, babies, that’s pretty much how it’s been ever since.”

Can you say, #MIND BLOWN 🤯! Musically, following a mysterious opening of two minutes filled with various sound effects, a relatively deliberate pace, and an ear-catching harmonic progression, a groove asserts itself. Additionally, a full palette of sounds unveils its sheer excellence. This cerebral record might be titled “Pure Comedy” but it’s safe to say, there’s nothing funny about this one.  Tillman’s pen game is on-point though 💪! “Pure Comedy” was one of the very best songs of 2017.

4. Teddy Pendergrass, “The Whole Town’s Laughing at Me”

💿 Teddy Pendergrass • 🏷 Sony Music Entertainment • 📅 1977

“The whole town’s laughing at me / Silly fool, how’d you lose, such a good friend?” 🎙 Teddy Pendergrass was one of the greatest soul musicians of all time.  Honestly, his soulful, masculine baritone screamed orgasm, chocked full of sexiness.  While his voice never reached the peak of his heyday prior to a paralyzing accident, he still possessed a fire so many R&B musicians envied. A prime example of TP at his prime is his 1977 debut album, 💿 Teddy Pendergrass, which features the ‘whole’ gem, 🎵 “The Whole Town’s Laughing at Me.” 

“The Whole Town’s Laughing at Me” appears as the sixth track on this landmark soul LP that also features the likes of 🎵 “I Don’t Love You Anymore” and 🎵 “The More I Get, The More I Want.”  A four-and-a-half-minute ballad penned by 🎼✍ Sherman Marshall and 🎼✍ Ted Wortham, Pendergrass laments losing a love because he was foolish.  “Yeah, I had your love right here in the palm of my hands / And I lost it,” he sings on the first verse.  On the second, he asserts, “Had my dream so near, I could reach out and touch it / And I lost it, and I lost it.” You get the picture.  On the pre-chorus/bridge, he reflects on what he could’ve done to keep this good thing he had, while the chorus finds him feeling utterly stupid.  Besides the elite, once-and-a-lifetime vocals by TP, Sherman Marshall does a beautiful job crafting that 70s, lush, Philly soul backdrop 🎛. If you’re too young to have experienced Pendergrass during his heyday, well, there’s no better time to explore his iconic music now!

Appears in 🔻:

• 12 Intriguing Hole or Whole Songs
• 15 More Soul Oldies That Tickle My Fancy (Vol. 3)

Funny: 3 or 4 BOPS No. 22 (2022) [📷: Atlantic, Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype, nappy via Pexels, Sony Music Entertainment, Sub Pop, Wilson Blanco from Pixabay]