Pure Comedy – English Lyrics

• By: Father John Misty
• Album: Pure Comedy

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the vocabulary of intellectual satire and philosophical commentary with Father John Misty's "Pure Comedy." This lyrically dense song offers a masterclass in using sophisticated, verbose English to craft a grand thesis on human existence, blending a world-weary tone with moments of profound sincerity. You'll learn to express complex ideas about society and religion with poetic flair, all set to the rich, sweeping sound of classic piano balladry.

[English]

(upbeat music)

- [Man] At six.

(mellow music)

- [Man] For some reason when I go to the, yeah.

(beep)

♫ The comedy of man starts like this

♫ Our brains are way too big for our mother's hips

♫ And so, nature, she devised this alternative

♫ We emerge half-formed and hope whoever greets us on

♫ The other end

♫ Is kind enough

♫ To fill us in

♫ And, babies, that's pretty much how it's been ever since

♫ Now the miracle of birth leaves a few issues to address

♫ Like say that half of us are periodically iron deficient

♫ So somebody's gotta go kill something

♫ While I look after the kids

♫ I'd do it myself, but what

♫ Are you gonna get this thing its milk

♫ He says as soon as he gets back from the hunt

♫ We can switch

♫ It's hard not to fall in love with something so helpless

♫ Ladies, I hope we don't end up regretting this

♫ Comedy

♫ Now that's what I call pure comedy

♫ Just wait until the part where they start to believe

♫ They're at the center of everything

♫ And some all powerful being

♫ Endowed this horror show with meaning

♫ Oh their religions are the best

♫ They worship themselves yet they're totally obsessed

♫ With risen zombies, celestial virgins, magic tricks

♫ These unbelievable outfits

♫ And they get terribly upset

♫ When you question their sacred texts

♫ Written by woman-hating epileptics

♫ Their languages just serve to confuse them

♫ Their confusion somehow makes them more sure

♫ They build fortunes poisoning their offspring

♫ And hand out prizes when someone patents a cure

♫ Where did they find these goons they elected to rule them

♫ What makes these clowns they idolize so remarkable

♫ These mammals are hell-bent on fashioning new gods

♫ So they can go on being godless animals

(upbeat music)

♫ Oh comedy

♫ Their illusions they've no choice but to believe

♫ Their horizons that just forever recede

♫ And how's this for irony

♫ Their idea of being free

♫ Is a prison of beliefs

♫ That they never ever have to leave

♫ Oh comedy

♫ Oh it's like something that a madman would conceive

♫ The only thing that seems to make them feel alive

♫ Is the struggle to survive

♫ But the only thing that they request

♫ Is something to numb the pain with

♫ Until there's nothing human left

♫ Just random matter

♫ Suspended in the dark

♫ I hate to say it

♫ But each other's all we've got

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
comedy /ˈkɒmɪdi/ A1	noun - a play, movie, or show that is intended to make people laugh
believe /bɪˈliːv/ A1	verb - to accept that something is true or real
nature /ˈneɪtʃər/ A1	noun - the physical world and everything in it
religion /rɪˈlɪdʒən/ A2	noun - a particular system of faith and worship
obsessed /əbˈsɛst/ B1	adjective - extremely preoccupied with something
illusion /ɪˈluːʒən/ B2	noun - a false idea or belief
irony /ˈaɪrəni/ B2	noun - the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite
horizons /həˈraɪzənz/ B1	noun - the limit of what can be seen or known
survive /səˈvaɪv/ A2	verb - to continue to live or exist, especially in difficult conditions
numb /nʌm/ B1	adjective - unable to feel physical or emotional sensations verb - to make someone unable to feel physical or emotional sensations
offspring /ˈɒfspriŋ/ B1	noun - a person's child or children
patent /ˈpeɪtənt/ C1	noun - a government authority giving an inventor the sole right to make, use, and sell an invention
godless /ˈɡɒdlɪs/ B2	adjective - not believing in or worshipping a god
random /ˈrændəm/ B1	adjective - made, done, or happening without method or conscious decision
suspend /səˈspɛnd/ B2	verb - to temporarily prevent something from continuing or being in force

Key Grammar Structures

• So somebody's gotta go kill something

  ➔ Informal modal verb (gotta = have to)

  ➔ "gotta" is the informal contraction of "have to", expressing obligation.

• They worship themselves yet they're totally obsessed

  ➔ Contrast conjunction "yet" + present progressive with contracted verb "they're"

  ➔ "yet" introduces a contrast, and "they're" is the contraction of "they are" used with the progressive verb "obsessed".

• When you question their sacred texts

  ➔ Adverbial clause of time introduced by "when"

  ➔ "When" starts a subordinate clause that tells us the timing of the action "question".

• Their languages just serve to confuse them

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose after verb "serve"

  ➔ "to confuse" is an infinitive that expresses the purpose of "serve".

• They build fortunes poisoning their offspring

  ➔ Present participle clause "poisoning their offspring"

  ➔ "poisoning" is a present participle that adds additional information about how they "build fortunes".

• What makes these clowns they idolize so remarkable

  ➔ Nominal clause beginning with "what" as subject

  ➔ "What" functions as a pronoun introducing a noun clause that acts as the subject of the sentence.

• Their idea of being free is a prison of beliefs

  ➔ Linking verb "is" with predicative noun phrase "a prison of beliefs"

  ➔ "is" links the subject "idea" to the predicative noun phrase "a prison of beliefs".

• I hate to say it

  ➔ Infinitive after verb of emotion "hate"

  ➔ "to say" is an infinitive that functions as the object of the verb "hate".