I love, absolutely love, that somebody would make a video of a song I recorded. I love it even more that he was so humble he didn’t even tell me. (Someone else did.)
“I Wish” was written by Dusty Drake, Frank Highland, Aaron Sain.
It’s on my double CD “The Grand Design.”
~ Greg
Here’s an interview I did recently with emPower Music and Arts, about living the humor lifestyle. (A great website and resource, by the way.)
Greg,sharing laughter sounds like a pretty fantastic job description, but I bet it’s harder than it looks. What is the creative process like for you?
It’s best in the shower. I pretty much just stay in the shower all day. It’s hard on the skin, but I never have to use deodorant.
Okay, seriously. (Sort of.) I do like to let creativity come and not try to force it. Relaxed moments are the best for that. But even more important is having the attitude of not trying to take things seriously, and always looking for humor opportunities. It’s a mindset you consciously adopt. Eventually it becomes a habit.
One good exercise is to try never to give a serious answer to a question if you don’t have to. After a while people start finding you a lot more interesting.
When I’m writing songs with Richard Helm, we just sit and talk and have a tendency to be pretty silly. Song ideas bubble up from that, and if they make us laugh, we figure they’ll make other people laugh.
It seems to be working pretty well for you. Your music and humor inspires your fans. How have they inspired you?
By actually buying my stuff! They’ve allowed me to get away with doing this for a living. Plus they read my blog and newsletters and stay in touch and let me know when I’ve struck a chord, when I’m on the right track. They tell me stories of how the songs and humor have helped them.
One guy with cancer recently wrote me and said he took one of my funny CDs to treatment and laughed all the way through chemotherapy. That inspires you to do more, to want to help.
Still on the subject of inspiration, who have been the people who have inspired you most?
Gandhi. That guy was funny!
Just kidding. I grew up with friends and family much funnier than I am, so I kind of soaked it up from them. I was a serious little kid, but I observed that not being serious was more fun. So I made that intention. I think all of us are naturally playful, we just un-learn it. So sometimes we have to re-learn it, like I did.
Role models for funny songwriting are John Prine, Randy Newman, Steve Goodman, Jim Stafford, Loudon Wainwright, Ray Stevens.
What about those days when inspiration fails? We all have days where we’re down, we’re discouraged and don’t want to get out of bed. How do you fight off the blues?
I sleep with a pet skunk. Getting out of bed is no problem.
I don’t really get the blues much, but if I feel a little low I call somebody who’s fun to talk to. And I don’t talk about feeling down. Just the opposite. Connecting with somebody fun is all it takes.
The old gratitude list also works wonders. Very helpful.
Laughter is an integral part of your life, but is there ever a time when a little humor just isn’t going to be appropriate?
Yes, but I’m learning that those times are fewer than I used to think. I was on a plane next to two older ladies who were coming back from their sister’s funeral. They told me all about her, and were obviously grieving. I mentioned I had recently lost my dad, and had written a song for him. They asked what it was called and I said, “Chicken Soup For The Dead.” They stared at me in shock for a second and then just cracked up. Totally lost it. All that pent up emotion came out as laughter, and I could tell they really needed it. For them, it was a gift.
Five days after 9/11, something similar happened. I was speaking at a church Sunday morning, and everybody had been watching TV all week, filling their heads with those horrible images. They were totally depressed and shellshocked. I wasn’t sure what to do, but I winged it and gave a lesson about focusing on what we can actually control, using some funny songs to illustrate that. To this day, I have never had an audience laugh harder. They really needed that release.
You’ve become an expert, it seems, at reading your audience and seeing what they need to hear. What’s the toughest venue/crowd you’ve ever played?
A celebrity charity event of NFL players, spouses and girlfriends. The organizer insisted she pick the songs, and the ones she picked were completely wrong for that audience. I was bombing so badly on stage my mouth went totally dry and I couldn’t form the words I was trying to sing. I was praying just to be able to finish and get off the stage.
It sounds funny now, and it worked out okay. They paid me a lot of money to learn a valuable lesson: never give up creative control.
You’ve received many awards for best songs and best humor. What accomplishment are you most proud of?
At the risk of repeating myself, getting away with doing this for a living. That, and winning a La-Z-Boy recliner on a TV game show.
Okay! So when you have some down time and are relaxing in that La-Z-Boy, what are you planning? What are your future goals?
To inflict myself, in a good way, on as many people as possible. I’m also always hoping to write a really great song. One that makes a difference to a lot of people. It might be fun to start an award for using humor in a very creative, helpful way. To honor people who do that.
Greg, thank you for being with us. I’ll ask one last question and then we’ll let you go. We just celebrated April Fool’s day. What is your best April Fool’s day joke ever?
The one I always remember was when I was a kid. My mom, who was not a practical joker and who never fixed breakfast for us kids because she worked, got up early and made pancakes. But she put a piece of round cloth in each pancake so you couldn’t cut through them. We were young and took forever to figure it out, and she got a huge kick out of that. Then we couldn’t wait for dad to wake up so we could watch her do it to him. I saw a whole new side of my mom, and learned all about practical jokes. Maybe that’s what started me down the road to silliness.
And we are all grateful for the road you’ve taken. Thank you again for taking the time to talk with us.
Thank you.
The following words are a tiny sample of over 2,035 (!) that were introduced (invented, coined) by one person. Do you know, or can you guess who made ‘em up? (Answer below…)
cranny
forefathers
aggragate (verb)
beautified
abstemious
antipathy
critical
dwindle
extract
horrid
vast
excellent
eventful
barefaced
assassination
lonely
leapfrog
indistinguishable
well-read
zany
and countless others, including “countless.”
This person was especially prolific at attaching the prefix “un” to words to form previously unconsidered forms:
unmask, unlock, untie, unhand, unveil…..and over 300 others.
So who was this uncanny wordsmith?
To be, or not to be the correct answer….That is the question….
William Shakespeare
(Source: Shakespeare, The World as Stage, by Bill Bryson)
Some cogent thoughts and quotes from the just-finished Science and Consciousness Conference in Santa Fe, featuring Jean Houston, Sam Keen, Matthew Fox, Raymond Moody, Peter Russell, and others. (I emceed and inflicted myself on everybody in a comedy concert.)
Jean Houston is the great-granddaughter of both Sam Houston and Robert E. Lee. (Presumably not together. I’m pretty sure science wasn’t quite that far along in the 1900s.)
People of sustained creativity are usually high sensates, high kinesthetic people. Mental sensory games develop imagery and stimulate creativity. Exercise: imagine sensing all kinds of things using, variously: taste, smell, touch, hearing. It’s a springboard to creativity. (Jean H.)
In Bhutan, Gross National Happiness is valued over Gross National Product. (Peter R.)
Usury (lending money at interest) was banned in every major religion in the world at some point. (Peter R.)
The Martingale Fallacy in gambling: If you lose, double your bet. If you keep losing, keep doubling your bet until you win a bet and you’ll be even. Then start again and hope for a winning streak. The fallacy is that this strategy doesn’t account for a long losing streak that wipes you out so you have no more money to bet. Something similar has happened in the financial world. (Peter R.)
(I think a lot of people use this strategy for relationships too….)
Consumerism is the fallacy that whatever you bought made you feel happier. But ignores the fact that you feel better because you created a feeling of lack in the first place. We find all kinds of things to be discontented about, and we have advertising to remind us of and reinforce the feeling. Stop the feeling of lack, and the need to buy stuff just to feel better is gone. (Peter R.)
(This gave me a cool song idea: “It’s A Great Time To Be Amish.”)
Our right brains (the creative, artistic, spiritual, big picture side) are usually less active, and our educational system and use of language promote this trend. (Diane Hennacy Powell)
Wisdom is the marriage of knowledge and art. (Matthew Fox)
The 21st century word for justice is “sustainability.” (Matthew Fox)
“Retirement,” no. “Refirement,” yes. (Matthew Fox)
$38,000 is spent per second on weapons around the world. (Matthew Fox)
Celtic saying: “Never give a young man a loaded gun who has not learned to dance.” (Matthew Fox)
More from Matthew Fox:
Therapist Joanne Woodward in Toronto: If an image is 1,000 volts, an archetype is 100,000 volts. (Matthew Fox)
Green light (e.g. from trees) is the most beneficial to humans. (Leonid Sharashkin)
Warfare is not genetic, it’s not in our hardware. It’s in our software. It’s rooted in our socially constructed narratives and myths. This type of myth is like a post-hypnotic suggestion. (Sam Keen)
Why do we love war? Several reasons:
Dealing with the shadow is not a pleasant process. We have to die from the old mythology in order to be reborn. The habit of warfare is nearly universal. But it’s not in our genes, it’s in our stories. (Sam Keen)
A “Just War” is usually just war. (Sam Keen)
Moral courage is more rare than physical courage. (Sam Keen)
And finally….
In two days, tomorrow will be yesterday, but it will still be Now.
© 2009 Greg Tamblyn
Here, for a little uplift in the downturn, are a few of my favorite funny observations. There are lots more where these came from, and I’ll post ‘em periodically…
Keep Smiling!
Greg
The Navajo have a unique tradition which, to me, sums up everything good and noble about us humans.
When a baby is born, it is regarded as the ultimate, precious gift and must never be abused. From the moment of birth, the child is watched over continuously by family and friends, who patiently wait for the child’s first… laugh.
Why do they do this?
See if you can guess the answer.
(Hint: It’s not to see if the baby is a good future audience for Navajo Comedy Clubs….)
It’s because the baby’s first laugh marks its birth as a social being.
That….is beautiful. And so is what happens next.
Whichever brother, sister, parent, cousin, aunt, uncle, or passing acquaintance is present at the first laugh is deemed to have caused it. (Even if he or she is not commonly considered comical.) The laughter instigator then receives the honored privilege of preparing a special ceremony to welcome the child into society.
(It’s also believed the infant takes on some of the traits of this person. So all new parents might want to give some thought to “who’s minding the baby.”)
The First Laugh Ceremony is a party where guests bearing plates of freshly cooked food slowly pass in front of the new, first-time laughing child. They do not do this to tempt the infant with appetizing aromas of fry bread and pinto beans. Quite the opposite.
The baby (with some help, of course) places a pinch of salt on the food of each person as a symbolic act of generosity. The salt is said to rekindle and sustain the goodness in each recipient, and is considered the first in a lifetime of generous acts by the child.
This inspiring tradition has a few lessons for us:
Celebrating laughter and generosity is a suspiciously healthy activity any time, but especially when the stress gremlins are lurking.
I might humbly suggest, at the very least, a party.
If I can help your organization celebrate (and de-stress!) with a Comedy Keynote Concert, please feel free to get in touch.
“Laughter,” said Victor Borge, “is the shortest distance between two people.”
© 2009 Greg Tamblyn, Motivational Humorist and Laughter Lover
Update: According to the author of the Woldwords book, the name for the ceremony is “childelgo.”
Over two years after the downsizing of Pluto from planetary status, confusion and consternation continue to plague earthlings born after 1900. Which I’m assuming is everybody. This is not surprising if you know Pluto. A quick look at the history of this remote, peculiar ice ball suggests we might want to reconsider, if we know what’s good for us.
1930 - Pluto is discovered after years of searching for the mysterious Planet X*. Its wildly popular name is the brainstorm of an 11 year old girl in England who loves Roman mythology. (Pluto is the god of wealth and death, ruler of the underworld and things that come from down below. Like oil and radioactive elements.) Shortly thereafter, Mickey Mouse’s dog is named after our new planetary cousin, and generations of dog and cartoon lovers are delighted. Disney makes a fortune.
1979 - NASA engineers, being engineers and not sensitive to the feelings of planets, royally snub Pluto when Voyager I is re-routed from a proposed Pluto flyby to one of Saturn’s moons instead. Soon afterward the Ayatollah grabs power in Iran (when the Shah leaves on “vacation”), Three Mile Island nuclear plant melts down (plutonium), OPEC increases prices 50% (oil), California starts gas rationing, and the prime rate hits 15.5%. “The Dukes Of Hazzard” premiers.
1989 - Pluto crosses Neptune’s orbit to become the 8th planet, now much closer to earth than usual and still pissed off. Shortly thereafter, the Ayatollah offers a $5 million reward for the head of Salman Rushdie, Exxon spills oil all over Alaska’s coast, and an earthquake hits San Francisco just minutes before the World Series. “Baywatch” premiers.
1999 - The International Astronomical Union, based in France, defiantly stands up to rogue astronomers and declares that Pluto is, was, and always will be a full-fledged planet. Almost immediately Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he has no interest in nuclear weapons (”they’re so 20th century”), Bill Clinton is cleared of all impeachment charges, the Euro is launched successfully, the American Economy is at an all-time high, and a loving couple in Chicago named Barack and Michelle Obama give birth to a daughter. “The West Wing” premiers.
2001 - Despite the IAA’s support of Pluto, Hayden Planetarium astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson unceremoniously kicks Pluto out of the family, complaining, “It doesn’t dominate its orbit. It’s not with us. I think its axis is evil.” The next day, George W. Bush is inaugurated. “Fear Factor” premiers.
2006 - The International Astronomical Union, still based in France, surrenders to the opposition and demotes Pluto to a newly formed class of “Dwarf Planets,” dropping it from the pantheon of Gods to the realm of Dopey, Grumpy, Sneezy, and Gimli. In no time, Iran says it will return to nuclear “research,” one million people go on strike in France, Muslims riot over Danish cartoons, the White House announces a deficit increase, Dick Cheney shoots a guy in the face, the benefits of a low-fat diet are proved false, the FDA rejects the medical use of marijuana, and Sarah Palin is elected governor of Alaska.
Coincidence? I think not.
* (Interestingly, Pluto was discovered at the Percival Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff. Pluto’s discovery had been predicted by Lowell himself, because of an observed aberration in Neptune’s orbit. It turns out the observed aberration was not there at all, but was in fact a “mistake.” A mistake? You don’t know Pluto.)
© 2009 Greg Tamblyn, Motivational Humorist and Pluto Lover
I can’t account for the veracity of this story, but this is how I heard it….
KURTIS THE STOCK BOY AND BRENDA THE CHECKOUT GIRL
In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy, was busily working when a new voice came over the loud speaker asking for a carry-out at register 4. Kurtis was almost finished, and wanted to get some fresh air, and decided to answer the call. As he approached the check-out stand a distant smile caught his eye, the new check-out girl was beautiful.
She was an older woman (maybe 26, and he was only 22) and he fell in love.
Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find out her name. She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card and punched out, then left. He looked at her card, BRENDA. He walked out only to see her start walking up the road. Next day, he waited outside
as she left the supermarket, and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, and she accepted. When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again, outside of work. She simply said it wasn’t possible.
He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn’t afford a baby-sitter, so he offered to pay for the baby-sitter. Reluctantly she accepted his offer for a date for the following Saturday. That Saturday night he arrived at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him. The baby-sitter had called and canceled. To which Kurtis simply said, “Well, let’s take the kids with us.”
She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not taking no for an answer, he pressed. Finally Brenda, brought him inside to meet her children. She had an older daughter who was just as cute as a bug, Kurtis thought, then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair. He was born a paraplegic with Down Syndrome.
Kurtis asked Brenda, “I still don’t understand why the kids can’t come with us?” Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman with two kids, especially if one had disabilities - just like her first husband and father of her children had done. Kurtis was not ordinary - - - he had a different mindset.
That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids, went to dinner and the movies. When her son needed anything, Kurtis would take care of him. When he needed to use the restroom, he picked him up out of his wheelchair, took him and brought him back. The kids loved Kurtis. At the end of the
evening, Brenda knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life with.
A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children.
Since then they have added two more kids.
So what happened to Kurtis the stock boy and Brenda the check-out girl?
Well……
Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Warner now live in Arizona , where he is currently employed as the quarterback of the National Football League Arizona Cardinals and has his Cardinals in the hunt for a possible appearance in the Super Bowl. Is this a surprise ending or could you have guessed who he is?
It should be noted that he also quarterbacked the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.
He has also been the NLF’s Most Valuable Player twice and the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player.
AND THE REST OF THE STORY:
When Kurt, his wife and 7 children go out to eat he has one of his children pick out a family eating at the restaurant. Kurt then tells the wait staff he is picking up the tab for that family’s dinner anonymously. He remembers the days he was working nights in the grocery store and feeding his family on food stamps.
It’s been quite a ride lately. Does the economic spin cycle leave you feeling hung out to dry? You’re not alone.
Since the global economy is so interdependent, the effects are felt everywhere. This can lead to worry, which without the proper fast-acting antidote can result in….stress!
How do we handle this without exploding?
I prescribe a generous dose of tickling the funnybone, one of my preferred subjects. Technology is great, but even the most advanced computer can’t crack a joke or find the humor in a situation. Laughter sends a signal to our brain that everything is okay. Our bodies relax, and the intelligent, creative, problem-solving part of us spontaneously comes out to play.
Here are a few ideas:
At Work:
Have a joke of the day.
Have a cartoon of the day.
Give a prize for the best one.
Bring a weird toy to work and give it to someone who does something productive.
Answer the phone with an unexpected greeting, like “Proudly still in business, can I help you with yours?”
Leave funny cards on peoples’ desks.
Leave them funny notes.
Post outrageous notes on the bulletin board, like “Free Spam sandwiches for everybody!”
Post funny quotes on the bulletin board, like the ones at the end of this post.
At Home:
Watch your favorite sitcom, plus a new one.
Ask the kids what weird thing happened in school today.
Answer the phone with something bizarre, like “Smith Family Home For The Bewildered!”
Send funny cards to people.
Send funny cards to people anonymously.
Play with a 4-year old.
Rent funny movies.
Visit a comedy club and expose yourself to comedians. (In a good way.)
Consider a Comedy Keynote Concert for your employees, like “Analog Brain In A Digital World: Managing Stress With Humor.” This helps us celebrate the best in ourselves and laugh at the rest of ourselves with empowering insights and soul-cleansing laughter.
Remember: when we put our attention on what we can control (how we react to people and events), we don’t feel powerless.
QUOTES FOR THE QUOTABLE
“I know worrying works, because none of the stuff I worried about ever happened.”
-Will Rogers
“More people are killed every year by pigs than by sharks, which shows you how good we are at evaluating risk.”
–Bruce Schneier
“I have known a great many troubles in my life, most of which never happened.”
– Mark Twain
Stay comically connected!
© 2009 Greg Tamblyn
Comedy Keynote Concerts ~ Motivational Humor
http://ComedyKeynoteConcerts.com
Here’s a song about and for women, sung by a man. It’s definitely got a message, and you may have a reaction to it. If so, I’d love to hear about it.
Karen Taylor-Good and I demoed “Skin” last week in Nashville. We recorded a version with my vocals, but since our objective is to pitch this to male country artists in hopes of a hit song, we recorded the demo with a great demo singer (and very successful artist in his own right), Perry Danos.
You can hear both versions at the link below. You can listen for free, and download either version for $.99
Do me a favor. Listen to it then come back here and tell me what you think. (We want to make sure we got it right.) You can listen to both versions if you like, but be sure and listen to Perry’s. Thanks! Here’s the link.
__________
Recording in Nashville is something every musician should experience and every music lover should see and hear. It’s amazing how the band comes into the studio, hears the song once, plays though it once or twice, and bang, they’ve got it! Not only have they got it, but they’re coming up with all kinds of cool, creative stuff to play on it. It feels like magic. Especially when it’s your song they’re making sound so good. These are some of the best musicians in the world, and if you have a song, you can hire them for union scale to work their mastery on it. Big fun!
SKIN lyrics:
(Karen Taylor-Good, Greg Tamblyn)
I want to talk about you darlin’ and skin
You know I love to look at you and touch the skin you’re in
All your lotions and potions, I really am impressed
But here’s a little something that I need to confess
You don’t ever have to make your face up for me
I’m hooked on the look you got naturally
I know you learned it young, when you were 5 or 6
You bought into the story that you had to be fixed
You read it in the magazines you see it on TV
You’re sold a phony notion that you’re only skin deep
But you don’t have to color it or stretch it or thin it
What really turns me on is when you’re comfortable in it
Some of your friends I think they really flipped their wig
They shoot poison in their brow and puff their lips up big
They suck the fat from underneath, let doctors cut and lift it
And try to rearrange the skin that gravity has shifted
Think of all the time wasted, money spent
Trying to ignite a spark when in the end
You don’t have to color it or tighten it or thin it
What really turns me on is when you’re comfortable in it
You’re never quite as gorgeous as when you don’t hide
And show me what you know is beautiful inside
The power of attraction is multiplied by 10
I love it when you’re real and nothing is pretend
There’s nothing to make up for, you’re fabulous enough
And I love kissing you without that sticky lip stuff
No you don’t have to color it or stretch it or thin it
What really turns me on is when you’re comfortable in it
What really turns me on is that you’re comfortable in it
© 2008 Greg Tamblyn, Karen Taylor-Good
