Increasingly the world is becoming less funny. The moral, economic and political disgrace that is the presidency of George Bush (impeachment, anyone?), the high cost of gas, natural disasters and a slew of other assorted bummers are making it harder to find comic relief in a world, as legendary surf punks from California Agent Orange used to sing, gone mad. Still, even with a plethora of puzzling evidence to put a serious crimp in mankind’s pursuit of a good time, there are bursts of hilarity to be found that prove that laughter is the best medicine. Here are some choice bits of musical levity to keep you amused as you’re waiting for the end of the world.

John Lajoie | “Everyday Normal Guy (Pts. 1 & 2)”
Most rap music is a shameless pursuit in empowering the almighty id. Rarely does anyone use the great American music form these days for anything other than to parade purely narcissistic pursuits. Canadian comedian musician John Lajoie’s anthem for minimum wage living reminds listeners that the idiom is best suited for venting proletariat concerns instead of boosting of one’s quest for material wealth. And Lord, is he funny. Lajoie’s boasts that his parents are really nice people, that he is scared of social situations and that the tenuous nature of his financial situation is always causing him worry are realism on par with Grandmaster Flash’s seminal hit, “The Message” with biting comedic insights borrowed from Chris Rock, Dave Chappell and George Carlin. If you want to spend a couple of minutes giggling to yourself, search Lajoie on YouTube and watch anyone of his numerous videos. Trust me, it will make any proudly X-rated life a much more joyous pursuit.

Buddy Knox | “I Think I’m Gonna Kill Myself”
Emo music spends an inordinate amount of time whining about life’s miseries. The only logical end for these shoe gazing pity party practitioners would be to admit surrender and end it all given the slow agonizing musical and lyrical suicide that defines the morose genre. Instead of being sad about ending it all little emo kid (and remember to follow the path and not cut across the road if you are going to follow your music to its implied conclusion), take a cue from early rock and roll sensation Buddy Knox’s playbook and approach the end of your obviously miserable life with something that your musical career has precious little of; a catchy tune and feelings of joy. As his follow-up single after the success of 1957 hit, “Party Doll”, Knox released this deviously upbeat ode to suicide that is the perfect tune to cure anybody of thinking that wallowing in quiet desperation is a way to lead a life worth living. The song was banned nationwide when it was released in 1958, as censors were worried that such an infectious composition would cause the fragile eggshell minds of America’s youth to off themselves, but the tune is the best antidote to chase away feelings of suffocating gloom.

Kinky Friedman | “They Ain’t Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore”
On the basis of this song alone, Texas born singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, columnist and politician Kinky Friedman should have become governor of the fine state of Texas. There is something to offend everybody in our laboriously PC-world in this veiled call for racial unity that uses the most profane, taboo racial terminology in getting its point across that, despite humanity’s varying degrees of skin pigmentation, we all are equally worthless no what the color of our skin may be. On this infectious little ditty, Friedman sounds like great American satirists Will Rodgers and Mark Twain with potty mouths over a slick 1970’s honky tonk beat, but, as both of those authors would duly attest, sometimes you have to offend the status quo in order to make the world a better place.