"The Joke" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter
Brandi Carlile. It was co-written by Carlile,
Dave Cobb
Dave Cobb (born July 9, 1974) is an American record producer based in Nashville, Tennessee, best known for producing the work of Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, John Prine, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, The Highwomen and Rival Sons .
Cob ...
, and
Phil and Tim Hanseroth, and produced by Cobb and
Shooter Jennings
Waylon Albright "Shooter" Jennings (born May 19, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He is the only son of country singers Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter. In a career spanning over two decades, Shooter Jenn ...
. It was released on November 13, 2017, as the lead single off ''
By the Way, I Forgive You
''By the Way, I Forgive You'' is the sixth studio album by Brandi Carlile, released on February 16, 2018. " The Joke" was released as the album's lead single. The album was co-produced by Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings. The album art is an origin ...
'', Carlile's sixth album.
With music inspired by "
An American Trilogy
"An American Trilogy" is a 1972 song medley arranged by country composer Mickey Newbury and popularized by Elvis Presley, who included it as a showstopper in his concert routines. The medley uses three 19th-century songs:
*"Dixie" — a popula ...
" by
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
, the lyrics are intended to uplift people who are marginalized by society. The song received widespread critical acclaim, winning two
Grammy awards.
Writing and production
"The Joke" first came about when Carlile and producer and co-writer
Dave Cobb
Dave Cobb (born July 9, 1974) is an American record producer based in Nashville, Tennessee, best known for producing the work of Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, John Prine, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, The Highwomen and Rival Sons .
Cob ...
started talking about Carlile's most successful single, '"
The Story". Carlile told
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
"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".
Cobb later played her ''
An American Trilogy
"An American Trilogy" is a 1972 song medley arranged by country composer Mickey Newbury and popularized by Elvis Presley, who included it as a showstopper in his concert routines. The medley uses three 19th-century songs:
*"Dixie" — a popula ...
'' by
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
during a session. Cobb explained, "I was playing her Elvis Presley's ''American Trilogy''...there's something magical about that recording. I mean it's the way it affects you; the way it's big in the chords, just pulling every single emotion out of you. So I played that, and then she wrote "The Joke". ''
aughs' I played her one of the greatest songs of all time, and then she wrote one of the greatest written since that one".
Lyrically, the song uplifts people who struggle to fit the molds made for them by modern society. Carlile said on
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
of the track, "There are so many people feeling misrepresented
oday Uday or Odai is a masculine name in Arabic as well as several Indian languages. In many Indian languages it means 'dawn' or 'rise'. The Arabic name (عدي) means 'runner' or 'rising'.
List of people
* Uday Benegal, Indian musician
* Uday Pratap S ...
... So many people feeling unloved. Boys feeling marginalized and forced into these kind of awkward shapes of masculinity that they do or don't belong in ... so many men and boys are
trans
Trans- is a Latin prefix meaning "across", "beyond", or "on the other side of".
Used alone, trans may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Trans (festival), a former festival in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
* ''Trans'' (fil ...
or
disabled
Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, ...
or shy. Little girls who got so excited for the last election, and are dealing with the fallout. The song is just for people that feel under-represented, unloved or
illegal
Illegal, or unlawful, typically describes something that is explicitly prohibited by law, or is otherwise forbidden by a state or other governing body.
Illegal may also refer to:
Law
* Violation of law
* Crime, the practice of breaking the ...
."
Critical reception
''The Joke'' was widely acclaimed by music critics, with major praise going for its melody and the subject matter in its lyrics. Magazine ''
American Songwriter
''American Songwriter'' is a bimonthly magazine covering songwriting. Established in 1984, it features interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contest. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee.
History
The ''American Songwri ...
'' called the track's intensity "mind-blowing", and dubbed it "a true masterpiece". ''
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
'' lauded the single as "A country-rock aria dedicated to the delicate boys and striving girls born into — and, Carlile insists, destined to triumph over — this divisive time." ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' called the track an "anthemic ballad",
and ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' described it as "a beacon of hope for those discouraged by today's political climate". Said
''Slant'', "The song's chorus explodes with catharsis, big emotions that are earned by Carlile's storytelling but driven home by the cinematic arrangement." ''
Billboard'' and ''
American Songwriter
''American Songwriter'' is a bimonthly magazine covering songwriting. Established in 1984, it features interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contest. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee.
History
The ''American Songwri ...
'' ranked the song number three and number one, respectively, on their lists of the 10 greatest Brandi Carlile songs.
Accolades
On December 7, 2018, the nominations for the
61st Annual Grammy Awards
The 61st Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 10, 2019, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys hosted. During her opening monologue, Keys brought out Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Lopez, and ...
were revealed. "The Joke" was nominated in four categories, including
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...
and
Song of the Year. Carlile was nominated for six awards total, making her the most nominated woman of 2019's ceremony. "The Joke" won the Grammy awards for
Best American Roots Song
The Grammy Award for Best American Roots Song is an award category at the annual Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the American Roots Music ...
and
Best American Roots Performance.
Chart performance
Following the song's wins and Carlile's performance of the song at the
2019 Grammys, "The Joke" debuted at number 1 on the February 23rd dated
''Billboard'' Rock Digital Song Sales chart. The song also re-entered the
Hot Rock Songs
Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (formerly known as Rock Songs and Hot Rock Songs) is a record chart published by '' Billboard'' magazine. From its debut on June 20, 2009, through October 13, 2012, the chart ranked the airplay of songs across alterna ...
chart at number 4, becoming Carlile's first song ever to reach the top 30.
Live performances
On March 14, 2018, Carlile performed the song on ''
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second ...
'', in November 2018, at the
Americanafest, on February 10, 2019 at the
61st Grammy Awards
The 61st Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 10, 2019, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys hosted. During her opening monologue, Keys brought out Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Lopez, and fo ...
and later, the same week, on ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was pro ...
''.
Charts
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Joke
2017 songs
Grammy Award for Best American Roots Song
LGBT-related songs
Political songs
Song recordings produced by Dave Cobb
Songs against racism and xenophobia
Songs with feminist themes
Brandi Carlile songs
Songs written by Brandi Carlile
Elektra Records singles