Zappa definitely took himself and his music seriously, but i know what you mean.

I realize I'm probably in the minority here, but I love these bands:

Crack the Sky, City Boy, 10CC, Goodrats, Be-Bop Deluxe, Queen, Todd Rundgren, Split Enz and more.  Primarily for their sense of melody and harmony, but for their sense of humor as well.

Ghost Rider hit the nail on the thumb. Canterbury! NATIONAL HEALTH,CARAVAN and on and on.Even the song titles are hilarious.

Devin Townsend is an artist that I am not that familiar with, but I believe that his latest release Ziltoid was meant to be humorous.  I don't know if this is the norm for him or if this is a first. 

• Sleeping While Driving Prevents Old Age
• Delivering the Groceries at 138 Beats per Minute
• When The Catholic Girls Go Camping, The Nicotine Vampires Rule Supreme.
• Fripp For Girls
• That's Some Sick Mouth and Knee Coordination
• Sausage Full of Secrets
• Philthy Collins

ELP's attempts at humour are a very mixed bag. I loved 'The Sheriff' which was good fun lyrically but kept the music generally straight (save the honky-tonk climax) but I'm not fussed on stuff like 'Are You Ready Eddy?'.

The lyrics on 'Systematic Chaos' were the only thing I didn't think so much of. That was the best DT album I've heard but yes, those lyrics got seriously close to Manowar territory, IMHO.

Frank Zappa and Mr.Bungle are great examples. Maybe not that well known but Supersister is a band with a great sense of humor. The track 'WOW' anyone?

 "Convenience" is a euphemism for a public toilet.
 I'm sure you understood that this is what Derek is singing about in the GG
song. 

         "Plastic, plastic, take the modern way" 
refers to the trend away from the traditional porcelain.  

        "Everything is clean and easy" 
means that he has found a readily accessible public lavatory with good
standards of hygiene.   

         "It's for you, for me too" 
is clearly a refence to men's urinals which are commonly able to
accommodate a number of users simultaneously.  

        "Just believe me, it runs like a big machine.  It's just for me,
        can't you see"
Of course, this is a prophetic allusion to the modern "Superloo" style
toilet, where each user enters a sealed automated cubicle to conduct their
solitary business.

Also on the same album, "Underground" is a further reference to the habit
of placing public conveniences beneath the sidewalks of our towns.  And of
course there's "Number One".  I don't think I want to discuss "Inside Out".

I hope that's now clear to you all.

I really really have to check out some VDGG/Hammill. I never did that.

BaldFriede wrote: sean wrote: BaldFriede wrote: "Cat Food" (on "In the Wake of Poseidon") and "Happy Family" (on "Lizard") are definitely examples of humour in King Crimson. As for Hammill: You have one example of his humour in your signature line. "Fishes can't fly"? Now really! Taken on its own, that line from Killer is pretty funny, but the song as a whole seems pretty serious. Yes, but I remember having read or heard an interview with Peter Hammill in which he explained that many of his lyrics should be taken with a grain of salt, and he especially pointed out this line. So while of course he deals with dark themes he often exaggerates them. This is even true for the lyrics on "Over", for example "Crying Wolf". Yes, he himself feels everything of what he writes about in this song, and yet he also takes the position of objective observer and makes fun of himself. "Crying wolf from the depths of your sheep's heart". This is a funny line, if you look at it closely.

He'd like you to call him lucky,
the original self-made man;
no sense of wide-screen vision,
no gender strangeness he can understand.
         
Roll on the old, old story,
you can call it original sin;
yeh, stamp that one in his passport,
paste it and colour it in.
         
Colour in a history of pride and prejudice;
what he wants is mystery, but what he gets is this:
a kick to kill the kiss.
         
He thinks it fair competition,
somehow having and eating the cake,
when the women are in their bodies
and the men are all over the place.

Peter Sinfield was the primary lyrics writer for King Crimson's early albums as well as on some of the Emerson Lake and Palmer albums.  Off hand, I don't know what he wrote for ELP, but I believe that Benny the Bouncer may have been his, same as the earlier mentioned King Crimson songs.  I would also add Ladies on the Road to songs with humor in them from King Crimson.

sean wrote: BaldFriede wrote: "Cat Food" (on "In the Wake of Poseidon") and "Happy Family" (on "Lizard") are definitely examples of humour in King Crimson. As for Hammill: You have one example of his humour in your signature line. "Fishes can't fly"? Now really! By the way, I noticed in another thread you mentioned interviews with Hammill where he talks about his lyrics. Any chance you have a link to one of those? I'd love to read it.

http://www.faceculture.nl/peterhammill/index.htm# - Peter Hammill about his urge to make music, finding different ways, his heart attack, the experience and being mortal!! (6.09)

http://www.faceculture.nl/peterhammill/index.htm# - Peter Hammill about Singularity and personal changes!! (5.51)

http://www.faceculture.nl/peterhammill/index.htm# - Peter Hammill about the death of his mother and mortality in general!! (4.01)

http://www.faceculture.nl/peterhammill/index.htm# - Peter Hammill about the process of songwriting, asking questions in his music and the Peter Hammill from the past!! (4.31)

http://www.faceculture.nl/peterhammill/index.htm# - Peter Hammill about what keeps him going, his most intense period, being self obsessed and the danger of going nuts!! (5.02)

http://www.faceculture.nl/peterhammill/index.htm# - Peter Hammill about the reunion of Van Der Graaf Generator, meeting his bandmates at funerals, the problems with David Jackson and going on as a trio!! (5.08)

http://www.faceculture.nl/peterhammill/index.htm# - Peter Hammill about creative ambitions, David Bowie and Peter Gabriel and not wanting big success!! (3.05)

http://www.faceculture.nl/peterhammill/index.htm# - Peter Hammill about his independence and the myth of breaking up Van Der Graaf Generator just when they became successful!! (3.02)