Barry Poole (born December 18, 1964, in Marietta, Georgia) is a country mus… Read Full Bio ↴Barry Poole (born December 18, 1964, in Marietta, Georgia) is a country music singer, parody artist and entertainer best known by his stage name Cledus T. Judd (No Relation) (implying he is not related to The Judds) or often just Cledus T. Judd. Best known for parodies of popular country songs, Judd is sometimes called the "Weird Al" Yankovic of country music, and like Yankovic his albums are usually an equal mix of original comedy songs and parodies.

Funnyman
Cledus T. Judd Lyrics

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I was the class clown,
I kept them laughing out loud.
Known all over town for turning frowns upside down.
I guess it′s just a gift that God blessed me with,
And I'm thankful everyday that he made me this way.
I may not always feel like putting on a show,
But when I hear these words I Just can′t say no.

Chorus
Make me laugh Funnyman,
No one can do it like you can.
I sure would like to smile,
Forget my troubles for awhile.
With a joke you know how to make the sun shine though the clouds.
If it's no to much to ask,
Make me laugh Funnyman.

Now I've made it my life to play the fool every night.
I must have been a million miles seen at least that many smiles.
And it′s a dream come true doing what I love to do.
And if it ended tonight I′ve had the time of my life.
Here's to all the friends and fans I′ve made along the way,
I know I wouldn't be here if I hadn′t heard you say...
-Repeat chorus-

Sometimes I hate to leave the stage.
Cause then the laughter fades away.
And then the crowd goes home,
And leaves me all alone.

And I look in the mirror and one more time I say...
-Repeat chorus-

Overall Meaning

The song "Funnyman" by Cledus T. Judd is written as an ode to the life of a comedian who is famous for providing laughter and smiles to people. The lyrics express how the singer feels about his gift to make people laugh. He is grateful to God for blessing him with this talent and is happy that he can use his humor to bring happiness to others. Although he may not always feel like putting up a show, the moment he hears someone say, “make me laugh, funny man," he can't resist because it's a part of his persona.

The first verse of the song provides the background of the comedian's journey to where he is now. He was a class clown whose humor gained them popularity in the school. As the years progressed, he made a name for himself in the town as well. He saw that his gift lay in bringing joy into other people's lives. In the second verse, he expresses his satisfaction with his life and how he wouldn't trade it for anything else. He's seen miles, smiles, and even fulfilled dreams. He is grateful to have made so many friends and fans along the way because he knows he wouldn't have achieved his persona without their support.

The chorus provides the hook of the song. It's a plea to the comedian to bring laughter into people's lives. The singer goes on to say that he would like to forget his troubles for a moment and smile while the comedian makes the sun shine through the clouds with a joke. The message is clear that the comedian has a vital role in society by providing moments of levity amidst all the troubles going on in the world.

Line by Line Meaning

I was the class clown,
I used to amuse and entertain my classmates with funny actions and words.

I kept them laughing out loud.
I made them laugh wholeheartedly with my funny humor and jokes.

Known all over town for turning frowns upside down.
My humorous skills were popular and well-known throughout the town, and I made people happy by making them smile.

I guess it′s just a gift that God blessed me with,
I consider my talent of making others laugh as a natural gift from God.

And I'm thankful everyday that he made me this way.
I feel grateful each day for the gift of humor that makes me who I am.

I may not always feel like putting on a show,
There might be times when I don't feel like entertaining people with my jokes and humor.

But when I hear these words I Just can′t say no.
However, I find it hard to refuse the request of making people laugh once they ask me to do so.

Make me laugh Funnyman,
When people call me by my nickname, Funnyman, and ask me to tell them a joke or two, I feel obliged to comply.

No one can do it like you can.
People believe that I've got a unique talent of making others laugh that no one else has.

I sure would like to smile,
People desire to laugh and feel happy, and they believe I can bring a smile on their faces.

Forget my troubles for awhile.
They wish to forget their problems and issues, even if it is for a short while, and seek happiness and laughter.

With a joke you know how to make the sun shine though the clouds.
By telling a joke, I have the ability to make people happy and lift their mood, even if they are going through tough times.

If it's no to much to ask,
If it's not too much trouble, people request me to tell them a joke and make them laugh.

Now I've made it my life to play the fool every night.
I've made it my profession to be a stand-up comedian and entertain people every night.

I must have been a million miles seen at least that many smiles.
Throughout my journey as a comedian, I might have traveled a lot of miles, but I've been able to put smiles on people's faces countless times.

And it′s a dream come true doing what I love to do.
Being able to make people laugh and being a comedian is my passion and dream come true.

And if it ended tonight I′ve had the time of my life.
Even if my career as a comedian ends today, I'd still be happy and content that I lived my life doing what I love - making people laugh.

Here's to all the friends and fans I′ve made along the way,
I'm grateful for all the people whom I've met in my journey as a comedian, whether they are my friends or fans, and who have supported, appreciated and encouraged me.

I know I wouldn't be here if I hadn′t heard you say...
I acknowledge that I wouldn't have been able to achieve my success without the encouragement and support from my well-wishers who told me to keep going.

Sometimes I hate to leave the stage.
I find it hard to leave the stage, where I have been performing and making people laugh, and bid goodbye to the audience.

Cause then the laughter fades away.
Once I leave the stage, the laughter and joy that I shared with the audience fades away too.

And then the crowd goes home,
The audience leaves, and I'm left alone onstage.

And leaves me all alone.
I feel lonely, having to depart from the audience after sharing a moment of happiness with them.

And I look in the mirror and one more time I say...
Reflecting on my performance, I talk to myself about how successful it was and whether I made the people laugh and happy or not.

Writer(s): Clark Christopher Douglas, Barry Poole, Bruce Burch

Contributed by Nora L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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