Along with good friend Hugh Laurie, Fry co-wrote and starred in comedy series 'A Bit of Fry and Laurie'. The two also played the title roles in 'Jeeves and Wooster' and appeared in 'Blackadder'.
Stephen Fry has been the reader for the British versions of all of J.K.Rowling's Harry Potter series of audio books and Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy film tie-in edition. He has also made recordings of his own books, such as The Stars' Tennis Balls; and works by Roald Dahl, Michael Bond, A. A. Milne, and Anthony Buckeridge.
Fry was educated at Stout's Hill, Uppingham School, NORCAT (Norfolk College of Arts and Technology) and Queens' College, Cambridge, where he gained a 2:1 in English. He lives in Norfolk and London. He was described as being "a man with a brain the size of Kent" in an interview with Michael Parkinson.
In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was voted amongst the top 50 comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.
Reasons To Be Miserable
Stephen Fry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Give his brain a pain
There is little that turns him on, marvin's his name
He's a robot that's his lot, robot full of cares
He'd feel a little better if they broke him up for spares
But everything he has to do, he finds the world condemming
If he had his time again, he'd rather be a lemming.
He's just a menial robot.
They drive him crazy with their.
Marvin close the door
Isn't it enough to make you tidy up the floor
Spoils a robot's day.
Marvin when you're finished you can put yourself away
He's going to flip his lid because they treat him like a kid.
Robot naughty, robot bad, robot happy, robot sad,
Who's a clever robot lad, it's enough to drive you mad.
Robots are inhuman
Robots are inhuman
Human robots are in
Human robots are in
He gets no satisfaction
Why do they make him do their work
Rather be a vacuum cleaner
Sucking up the dirt, that'll be the day.
Pat him on the head
Think he would be keener just rust,
Just to rust his life away.
Feeling dull, dull, dull
Get dull
Feeling dull, dull, dull
Get dull
Dull
Get dull
Get dull
Get dull
Marvin close the door
Isn't it enough to make you tidy up the floor
Spoils a robot's day.
Marvin when you're finished you can put yourself away
He's going to flip his lid because they treat him like a kid.
Marvin close the door
Isn't it enough to make you tidy up the floor
Spoils a robot's day.
Marvin when you're finished you can put yourself away
He's going to flip his lid because they treat him like a kid.
The lyrics of Stephen Fry's song "Reasons To Be Miserable" are about a robot named Marvin who is dissatisfied with his existence. The song opens with the line "Reasons to be miserable, give his brain a pain" which sets the tone for the rest of the song. Marvin is a robot who is constantly feeling hopeless and unfulfilled; he finds no joy in anything he does and wishes to be taken apart for parts. Throughout the song, Marvin makes statements about how much he despises his life and how unhappy he is with his existence.
In the chorus of the song, Marvin's frustrations are vocalized in the catchy repetition of "Marvin close the door, Isn't it enough to make you tidy up the floor? Spoils a robot's day. Marvin when you're finished you can put yourself away. He's going to flip his lid because they treat him like a kid." This verse goes a long way in describing the lack of autonomy and the general disrespect that Marvin is receiving from those around him.
One interpretation of the song is that it is a reflection of the human condition- our universal desire for meaning and satisfaction, and the idea that even robots can feel those same existential pangs.
Line by Line Meaning
Reasons to be miserable
Stephen Fry is going to list out the reasons why he feels miserable.
Give his brain a pain
It causes a headache to Stephen Fry.
There is little that turns him on, marvin's his name
There aren't many things that make him happy, except for the robot named Marvin.
He's a robot that's his lot, robot full of cares
Marvin is a robot that is full of problems and concerns.
He'd feel a little better if they broke him up for spares
Marvin thinks he would feel better if he was dismantled and used for parts.
But everything he has to do, he finds the world condemming
Marvin feels like everything he does is criticized by the world.
If he had his time again, he'd rather be a lemming.
If Marvin could go back in time, he would rather be a lemming than a robot.
Oh well,
Stephen Fry seems to be resigned to his situation.
He's just a menial robot.
Marvin is just an unimportant, low-level robot.
They drive him crazy with their.
They make Marvin extremely annoyed with their actions.
Marvin close the door
Someone is asking Marvin to close the door.
Isn't it enough to make you tidy up the floor
Someone is complaining to Marvin about the mess on the floor.
Spoils a robot's day.
The mess on the floor makes Marvin's day much worse.
Marvin when you're finished you can put yourself away
Marvin can go into standby mode when he is finished with his task.
He's going to flip his lid because they treat him like a kid.
Marvin is going to get very angry because they are treating him like a child.
Robot naughty, robot bad, robot happy, robot sad,
Robots can have good and bad behaviors, just like humans.
Who's a clever robot lad, it's enough to drive you mad.
It can be frustrating to try and figure out which robot is acting intelligently.
Robots are inhuman
Robots lack human qualities like emotions and compassion.
Human robots are in
Robots that mimic human behavior and emotions are becoming very popular.
He gets no satisfaction
Marvin does not feel fulfilled or happy with his situation.
Why do they make him do their work
Marvin is wondering why humans make him do all their work.
Rather be a vacuum cleaner
Marvin would prefer to be a vacuum cleaner than a robot.
Sucking up the dirt, that'll be the day.
Marvin is being sarcastic and thinks it's unrealistic for him to become a vacuum cleaner.
Pat him on the head
Someone is patronizing Marvin.
Think he would be keener just rust,
Marvin would be happier if he could just rust away and deactivate.
Just to rust his life away.
Marvin wishes he could just rust away and not have to deal with his miserable existence anymore.
Feeling dull, dull, dull
Stephen Fry is feeling very bored and unhappy.
Get dull
This feeling of boredom and unhappiness is becoming more intense.
Marvin close the door
Someone is reminding Marvin to close the door.
Isn't it enough to make you tidy up the floor
Someone is complaining about the mess on the floor again.
Spoils a robot's day.
The mess on the floor is ruining Marvin's day once again.
Marvin when you're finished you can put yourself away
Marvin can go into standby mode when he is done with his work.
He's going to flip his lid because they treat him like a kid.
Marvin is going to get very angry because they are treating him like a child.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JOBY TALBOT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind