Songs of the snark

March 6, 2021 8:36 AM

Looking for songs with sardonic, pithy lyrics that contain deep truths, folk / traditional Western European preferred.

Peter Bellamy's setting of Rudyard Kipling's Big Steamers is one of my absolute favorite tunes to sing right now, and I want moar. Sorry for the Spotify link but I couldn't find a YouTube link ready to go.

What do I love about it? It's a bit theatrical (dialogue between two characters), the consonants are an old-school stage actor's dream, and it's tongue in cheek while at the same time it points to a Deep Truth of imperialism. (I'm not in favor thereof, but to me the lyrics don't support it so much as say "this is the way it is now.")

Languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, maybe German. (Eventually I can see myself moving into Weill / Brecht but for now I'd prefer to stick with a language I can read.)

posted by Sheydem-tants to Media & Arts (16 answers total)

They Might Be Giants do a fair amount of this. I Palindrome I is a good example.
posted by irisclara at 9:05 AM on March 6, 2021 [2 favorites]

Perhaps Arthur McBride or The Blue Cockade, which both address conscription. Or The Granemore Hare, on hunting.

For non-trad takes, Frank Mansell and Chris Wood's The Cottager's Reply, or Mark Knopfler's Madame Geneva's?
posted by offog at 9:49 AM on March 6, 2021 [1 favorite]

I was thinking more Rachel Lark, but that's more "bawdy storytelling".
posted by kschang at 9:52 AM on March 6, 2021 [3 favorites]

You might go for Nellie McKay's "Mother of Pearl," which is a parody of antifeminist attitudes that's still pretty on point over a decade later (though the feminists she's talking about seem kind of sex work-negative).
posted by babelfish at 10:36 AM on March 6, 2021

Dar Williams, "The Pointless Yet Poignant Crisis of a Co-ed"
La Guardia Hereje, "La pesadilla"
Seems like a lot of Randy Neuman's catalog would fit the bill too.
posted by dr. boludo at 10:48 AM on March 6, 2021 [2 favorites]

Maybe some of Johnathan Coulton would appeal.
posted by The otter lady at 11:20 AM on March 6, 2021

Many things by Tom Lehrer - The Vatican Rag - fabulous version - LIVE FILM From Copenhagen in 1967 maybe?
posted by zengargoyle at 11:24 AM on March 6, 2021 [1 favorite]

The Ant And The Grasshopper, by Martin Carthy
posted by MinPin at 11:49 AM on March 6, 2021

Not much to go on here, but if you're fishing:
Ewan MacColl Shoals of Herring
Flanders & Swann Have some madeira m'dear - Horn Concerto
Tom Lehrer, too: Poisoning Pigeons in the Park
posted by BobTheScientist at 3:21 PM on March 6, 2021 [2 favorites]

Gilbert and Sullivan.
And all the folks who borrowed their songs: Tom Lehrer, the Animaniacs, etc.

They Might Be Giants. I wish more people listened to TMBG songs.
posted by lothar at 4:34 PM on March 6, 2021 [2 favorites]

You might like the album Circus Maximus by Momus.
posted by perhapses at 8:42 PM on March 6, 2021 [1 favorite]

Lots of Phil Ochs songs fill that bill.

Also don’t miss Dick Gaughan’s The Worker’s Song. https://youtu.be/tw6ZKHqR0xE
posted by Miko at 4:38 PM on March 7, 2021

Brecht is certainly a master of this. For Bretcht in English, my favorite is Dagmar Krause's interpretations of his work with Hans Eisler. The 1994 long form video September Songs is also strong.
posted by bendybendy at 7:05 AM on March 8, 2021

Half Man Half Biscuit have sardonic and pithy deep truths in spades, but they're neither folksy nor theatrical (unless they're being sardonic about folk or theatre). Give National Shite Day a try (lyrics)? Or if you want something singalong, You're Hard or Moody Chops.
posted by snarfois at 9:05 AM on March 8, 2021 [1 favorite]

I Am The Way by Loudon Wainwright III, although if you are religious I will warn you it is irreverent.
posted by TimHare at 4:19 PM on March 8, 2021

Speaking of irreverent, Atahualpa Yupanqui's "Preguntitas sobre Dios"
posted by dr. boludo at 7:46 AM on March 10, 2021