Funny Man

[Ray Brookes]

Many years ago I worked a summer season at a holiday camp in the UK. Also working there for one week was an old comedian (quite well known in the UK once upon a time) whose act was so sadly dated he never raised a chuckle. I felt so sorry for the old guy but it's taken me nearly 40 years to write this song about him.

Funny man; old gags not funny anymore
Funny man; audience embarrassed and bored
No one watching; or laughing for the wrong reasons
Another holiday camp, another summer season

Funny man; once performed before the queen
Funny man; forgets his lines. An old has-been
Used to be a favourite of an old aunt of mine
Played an ugly sister in a children's pantomime

Looks lost and deserted on the stage
An act from a different age
Song & dance then out of breath
Seat of his pants dying a death

Funny man; wife watching from the wings
Crying softly and sadly remembering things
When a crowd was in his hand
Jokes they could understand
No swearing; no smut
Timing sweet as a nut

Pity any act that followed him after
He'd had the audience writhing in laughter
Now stands naked looking bewildered and tragic
Funny faces don't work. Lost that charm; lost that magic

Funny man; not funny anymore
Funny man; not funny anymore

[StephenM]

wow Ray.... this is so big... reminds me of that scene in the movie "My Girl" (Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis, Macaulay Culkin, and Anna Chlumsky) where they are in the large room of the house where a funeral is going on.... the owner of the business's mom, with dementia lives in the house as well, she walks to the front of the room and pulls a rose (I think a rose) from the vase and uses it as her mic to sing to the audience in attendance... it was both appalling and darling (at least to me).... 

we all getting to be relics... great song...well done, with class and dignity and honoring a once hailed entertainer.... I gotta see if I can figure out who it is....

[tonyc]

superb song ray , love the subject , i could think of a few who could drop into that mould . great sound on the guitar nice and clear and as always love the voice , cheers ...tony cee ...will be in contact soon . 

[Hilary]

Crikey, I found this very emotional.

Beautiful Ray.

[Greeny]

Oooh - I need to know who this is now. Jimmy Tarbuck, Max Wall... lots of possible culprits. The song is devastatingly beautiful and savage at the same time - which is a combination I love. Great simplicity that reflects a lonely stage death very well, and a superb lyric.

Great story, songwriting, and another very classy performance.

That must have been an experience. It's like a time machine to the 50's in those places. Butlins used to be a client of mine (we were their advertising agency). The worst client I've ever had in nearly 30 years. And we had to regularly stay there (in my case the Bognor one) to 'take in' the experience. It was horrific. More like a gulag. With chips. Gulag and chips. I still have a traumatic reaction to the unclean chalet with dirty bloody underpants on the floor, smell of smoke, and oppressive air of desperation.

[Hilary]

My guess would be Max Wall - I've had some great nights performing at a little caravan park in Bognor (the promoter loved me) and the worst night ever at Parkdean in Wales (still haunts me). Totally different set required (I learnt the hard way) and very difficult to do!

There's a great Inside No 9 about an old washed up comedian that hangs himself in the toilets - also Bernie Clifton's dressing room is a great episode about old comedians too (also inside No 9).

Do we get a prize if we guess right?

[maxit]

Really superb song and heartbreaking story ... made me think about a song of simon and garfunkel about getting old, maybe titled old friends, anyway, that greatness...

[TPB]

Hey I resemble the relic remarks LOL yes watching former stars hang on too long can do two things depress you and remind you how old you are.  Great composition on the song well done brother
Tim

[Johnbee]

Very sad story.  Your music creates the perfect atmosphere.  Sad and kind of troubling at the same time.  Great work.

  John B.

[cuthbert]

Very moving song. I don't know who the comedian may have been (I would also be interested to know, though), but the story you told here has to be something not entirely uncommon for many as age inevitably catches up.

Well done, sir.