Yard Act and Katy J Pearson Deliver an Uplifting Anthem with "When The Laughter Stops"
Yard Act's "When The Laughter Stops" is a jolt of pure defiance, a raucous anthem for anyone who's ever felt down but not out. From the opening moments, the track oozes that signature Yard Act wit. A punchy, swaggering bassline sets the stage for a sardonic takedown of whatever life's thrown your way. But far from wallowing, the song quickly pivots into something far more infectious.
Katy J Pearson Brings the Sweetness
Katy J Pearson's arrival is a sonic revelation. Her clear, captivating voice brings an unexpected sweetness that transforms the track. Her catchy chorus becomes a call-and-response battle cry against negativity, Yard Act's cynicism playfully bouncing off her infectious optimism.
A Song About Finding Fun in the Face of Adversity
What makes "When The Laughter Stops" such a blast is its sense of camaraderie. It's like your best friend, the one who can both ruthlessly mock your misfortune and inspire you to rise above it. It's a reminder that sometimes the most empowering response to a bad situation is to embrace the absurdity of it all.
Yard Act When The Laughter Stops Review
Packed with sharp turns of phrase, unexpected melodies, and a healthy dose of rambunctious spirit, "When The Laughter Stops" is vintage Yard Act infused with an unexpectedly uplifting energy. It's a song that will leave you grinning, a little bit wiser, and ready to face whatever nonsense comes next.
Listen To Yard Act When The Laughter Stops
Yard Act When The Laughter Stops Lyrics Meaning
The Disillusionment of the Dream
When The Laughter Stops portrays the struggle and disillusionment of chasing a seemingly big break, only to discover the harsh realities within the world of entertainment or other aspirational industries.
Verse 1: The speaker is excited about a potential life-changing role but becomes dispirited upon realizing he's cast as a nameless victim, merely a plot device.
Verse 2: There's an attack on the industry, where those who replicate past (safe) successes dominate. The speaker mourns his own wasted potential as "the laughter stops."
Internalizing Pain & the Facade of Strength
The song centers around the theme of quietly bearing personal burdens beneath a veneer of strength.
Pre-Chorus: Emphasizes that weakness is unacceptable ("Time's up, don't be scared"). People put on a stoic facade ("Head down, no comment").
Chorus: Katy J Pearson's voice highlights buried pain and concealed struggle. The repeated line "Pain is such a funny thing" reveals a complex mixture of dark humor, coping mechanisms, and the absurdity of forced positivity.
Existential Dread & Loss of Meaning
The song delves into the unsettling feeling that life might ultimately be pointless.
Outro: David Thewlis reciting Macbeth's famous speech reinforces the theme of existence as a fleeting performance. This connects to the speaker's realization that even if fame had been found, it might have proven hollow and meaningless.
"When the Laughter Stops" is a multi-layered song about:
The crushing of aspirations: The disappointment of achieving a "dream" and finding it unfulfilling.
The weight of unexpressed pain: The pressure to appear strong, even when struggling internally.
Existential questioning: The contemplation of life's meaninglessness amidst the relentless pursuit of success.
Yard Act When The Laughter Stops Lyrics
[Verse 1: James Smith]
I got the call for the audition
It was the chance of a lifetime
It said, "If all requirements of this role come to fruition
You'll never work another day in your life"
So I let my hair grow wrong, don't shave my face
I got some brand-new boots and gained a bit of weight
But when I finally got the script in for the role which I was hoping
It said I'd play the victim, shot dead in the cold open
[Pre-Chorus: James Smith & Katy J Pearson, Katy J Pearson]
Time's up, don't be scared
The future's got a room without a view in your own head
Head down, no comment
It's just a matter of opinion
[Chorus: Katy J Pearson]
Don't let no one ever know about the burden that you're smuggling
You dry your eyes at the gate to hide the struggling
The stories that you're juggling
The fear you must be funnelling
Bury till you're burrowing
Pain is such a funny thing
No one needs to know about the burden that you're smuggling
You dry your eyes at the gate to hide the struggling
The stories that you're juggling
The fear you must be funnelling
Bury till you're burrowing
Pain is such a funny thing
[Verse 2: James Smith]
So let them replicate my past success
With casting from the same subset of men
Whose fleeting failures are all they ever knew
With a straight face beyond repair digging a grave of nil despair
Between the crosshairs of a crop that never grew
We pay no respect to common intellect
And watch the insects suck the marrow from the bone
For when we go back to our proper jobs and realise the laughter's stopped
I need to know my chance was fully blown
[Chorus: Katy J Pearson]
Don't let no one ever know about the burden that you're smuggling
You dry your eyes at the gate to hide the struggling
The stories that you're juggling
The fear you must be funnelling
Bury till you're burrowing
Pain is such a funny thing
No one needs to know about the burden that you're smuggling
You dry your eyes at the gate to hide the struggling
The stories that you're juggling
The fear you must be funnelling
Bury till you're burrowing
Pain is such a funny thing
[Outro: Katy J Pearson, Katy J Pearson & James Smith, David Thewlis]
Time's up, don't be scared
Head down, no comment
It's just a matter of opinion
To the last syllable of recorded time
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death
Out, out, brief candle
Life's but a walking shadow
A poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more
It is a tale told by an idiot
Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing
Comments