Brandi Carlile - The Joke Lyrics

Brandi Carlile Lyrics

"The Joke"

You're feeling nervous, aren't you, boy?
With your quiet voice and impeccable style
Don't ever let them steal your joy
And your gentle ways, to keep 'em from running wild
They can kick dirt in your face
Dress you down, and tell you that your place
Is in the middle, when they hate the way you shine
I see you tugging on your shirt
Trying to hide inside of it and hide how much it hurts

Let 'em laugh while they can
Let 'em spin, let 'em scatter in the wind
I have been to the movies, I've seen how it ends
And the joke's on them

You get discouraged, don't you, girl?
It's your brother's world for a while longer
We gotta dance with the devil on a river
To beat the stream
Call it living the dream, call it kicking the ladder
They come to kick dirt in your face
To call you weak and then displace you
After carrying your baby on your back across the desert
I saw your eyes behind your hair
And you're looking tired, but you don't look scared

Let 'em laugh while they can
Let 'em spin, let 'em scatter in the wind
I have been to the movies, I've seen how it ends
And the joke's on them

Let 'em laugh while they can
Let 'em spin, let 'em scatter in the wind
I have been to the movies, I've seen how it ends
And the joke's on them

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Writer(s): Dave Cobb, Phillip John Hanseroth, Timothy Jay Hanseroth, Brandi Marie Carlile

This is the lead single from the album. It was released on the 13th of November 2017.

The singer said to NPR about this track, "The song is just for people that feel under-represented, unloved or illegal." She also revealed, "...it started off with Dave insinuating that we haven't had a vocal moment like 'The Story' since, well, 'The Story' ...we all went home that night and I was like, 'Who tells you to rewrite a song that you wrote a decade ago?' But it just kept nagging me – like the truth does, you know."

Dave Cobb used "An American Trilogy" by Elvis Presley to inspire Brandi Carlile to write "The Joke". He explained, "I played her one of the greatest songs of all time, and then she wrote one of the greatest written since that one."

"The Joke" was performed by Brandi Carlile on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on the 14th of March 2018. She also sang it at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in February 2019, where this was nominated in the "Song of the Year" category.

album: "By The Way, I Forgive You" (2018)

Brandi Carlile - By The Way, I Forgive You album cover

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"The Joke" lyrics

Brandi Carlile Lyrics