That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore – English Lyrics

• By: The Smiths
• Album: Meat Is Murder

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the poetic depth of English through The Smiths' "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore." This song is a masterclass in expressing complex emotions, offering a rich vocabulary of melancholy and empathy. By exploring Morrissey's lyrics, you can learn to appreciate the nuances of figurative language and the power of a narrative that builds to a profound personal realization. Its unique waltz-like rhythm and acclaimed guitar work make it a truly special song for both music and language lovers.

[English]

Park the car at the side of the road

You should know

Time's tide will smother you

And I will too

When you laugh about people who feel so very lonely

Their only desire is to die

Well, I'm afraid it doesn't make me smile

I wish I could laugh

...

But that joke isn't funny anymore

It's too close to home

And it's too near the bone

It's too close to home

And it's too near the bone

More than you'll ever know

...

Kick them when they fall down

Kick them when they fall down

...

You kick them when they fall down

Kick them when they fall down

You kick them when they fall down

Kick them when they fall down

You kick them when they fall down

Kick them when they fall down

It was dark as I drove the point home

And on cold leather seats

Well, it suddenly struck me

I just might die with a smile on my face after all

...

I've seen this happen in other people's lives

...

And now it's happening in mine

I've seen this happen in other people's lives

And now it's happening in mine

I've seen this happen in other people's lives

And now it's happening in mine

I've seen this happen in other people's lives

And now it's happening in mine, oh

I've seen this happen in other people's lives

And now it's happening in mine

Happening in mine, happening in mine

Happening in mine, happening in mine

I've seen this happen in other people's lives

And now, now, now, it's happening in mine

Happening in mine, now, now

I've seen this happen in other people's lives

And now it's happening in mine

Happening in mine, happening in mine

Happening in mine

I've seen this happen in other people's lives

And now, now, now, it's happening in mine

Mine, mine, mine, oh

...

Key Grammar Structures

• Time's tide will smother you

  ➔ Genitive case ('Time's'), Future Simple with 'will', Transitive Verb ('smother')

  ➔ The possessive form 'Time's' shows ownership. 'Will smother' indicates a future action. 'Smother' is a transitive verb, meaning it takes a direct object ('you').

• When you laugh about people who feel so very lonely

  ➔ Subordinate Clause with 'when', Relative Clause ('who feel'), Adverb ('very')

  ➔ The sentence begins with a subordinate clause introduced by 'when', describing the time frame. 'Who feel' is a relative clause modifying 'people'. 'Very' intensifies the adjective 'lonely'.

• I just might die with a smile on my face after all

  ➔ Modal Verb ('might'), Infinitive ('die'), Prepositional Phrase ('with a smile on my face'), Adverbial Phrase ('after all')

  ➔ 'Might' expresses possibility. 'Die' is the infinitive form of the verb. 'With a smile on my face' describes the manner of dying. 'After all' suggests a surprising or ironic outcome.

• I've seen this happen in other people's lives

  ➔ Present Perfect ('have seen'), Possessive ('people's'), Prepositional Phrase ('in other people's lives')

  ➔ The present perfect 'have seen' indicates an experience in the past with relevance to the present. 'People's' shows possession. The prepositional phrase specifies where this has been observed.