One of the best acoustic gigs you can find online is from a band called Lost and Found.
What makes it such a unique listening experience is that the duo uses several different instruments in their composition, including a slinky.
You can see Lost and Found perform their song “Lions” with this setup for some inspiration.
Fans of the band always show up with their own Slinkies to play along with the group. It’s a way for the artists to stand out as being unique.
When you book an acoustic gig, playing some funny songs can help you achieve a similar outcome. You can approach this idea from one of three ways.
- The song selection can use an acoustic version that would seem unusual for the piece.
- It can have humorous lyrics as part of the composition.
- You could choose titles that fall outside of your genre, such as a bluegrass band playing “Enter Sandman.”
If you choose to cover songs that aren’t your work, please remember to secure the performance’s appropriate licensing.
You’ll want to verify that the following songs are available for permissions before proceeding with any selections from this list.
What Are the Funniest Songs for Acoustic Gigs?
1. “Do You like Waffles?” by Parry Gripp
Anything from Parry Gripp qualifies as a funny song to sing at an acoustic gig. All of the compositions involve kid-friendly lyrics that are part humorous and part parody.
It won’t take long to learn the tabs with its straightforward melodic approach.
“Do you like waffles? Yeah! We like waffles! Do you like pancakes? Yeah! We like pancakes!”
Your audience will have a good laugh. If the acoustic piece bombs, the song is less than one minute long, so you won’t have a massive investment in it.
2. The Pokemon Theme Song
If you check the online forums for funny acoustic song ideas, this one comes up in almost every conversation.
When you play the Pokémon Theme Song for a live audience, you’ll find some people shaking their heads, others smiling, and a few are even singing along with you.
“I want to be the very best, like no one ever was. To catch them is my real test, to train them is my cause!”
Since the theme song is written in common meter, you can have some extra fun by singing Emily Dickinson poems as the lyrics instead.
3. Special Fred by Stephen Lynch
Here’s the thing with this funny song by Stephen Lynch: it’s already an acoustic version. You’d want to turn it into something heavier – perhaps something closer to a Nirvana cover.
“When I was a boy of 10, I had a very best friend. Fred was kind, with good intent, but just a little different.”
You’d want to be careful about the audience you choose for playing this song. It could be considered quite offensive to some families.
After all, everyone is a little special in their own way.
4. I’m the Man by Anthrax
If you think about the lyrics of this song, it’s fair to say that Anthrax wanted to put together a mission statement for their band.
This late 1980s hit is old enough that modern audiences won’t necessarily recognize it, but the beat is close to something that comes from the Beastie Boys – so they’ll love it!
“Charlie, beat the beats, the beats you beat, the only thing harder’s the smell of my feet!”
The different rhythm changes are challenging for an acoustic gig, but it can also be a way to show off your unique skills on the guitar.
5. Pop Bottles by Birdman (with Lil’ Wayne)
Although any rap song works well for a funny acoustic set at your next gig, this title from Birdman might be the best option.
You can eliminate the swear words if you want, or you could throw it in to really give people a change in your musical style.
“As I recline behind my desk, I ain’t got a lot of Nikes, but I got a lot of checks. Got my own shoe brand, new on the set. Went from sittin’ in a cell to sittin’ on a jet.”
If you want some added flair to your acoustic number, consider popping a bottle of (cheap) Champagne to give everyone a better giggle.
6. Animals by Nickelback
Whether you love or hate Nickelback, no one can deny the influence they had on the charts when their popularity was sky-high.
The only downside of singing “Animals” at your live acoustic set is that someone might want you to play “Photograph” after, and that’s probably not a place you want to go.
“We just started getting busy when she whispered what was that. The wind, I think ‘cause no one else knows where we are, and that was when she started screamin’ that’s my dad outside the car.”
The original song is heavy metal, borderline screamo, which is why a slow acoustic version would get a fantastic laugh.
7. You Suffer by Napalm Death
Think of this song as more of a joke than anything else. Although it is an official piece, the length is only one second long.
According to Justin Broadrick, who receives a writing credit for it, the goal was to get a laugh from the local kids.
The song has four words to it: “You suffer, but why?”
You can even see it used as a notification tone for one of the characters in the show Silicon Valley on HBO.
If that isn’t strange enough, there’s even an official music video from Napalm Death for the piece.
8. Ballad of Kurt Cobain by S.O.D.
Here’s another short number that gives your audience a laugh. It’s from S.O.D., and part of the piece seems to contain the chords to Cobain’s hit song “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
The only thing is that the song quits right before you’d go into the full original piece. You scream out, “He’s dead!”
Your lyrics are irreverent, but it’ll get a laugh in front of the right audience.
If you want to go into a deeper dive, S.O.D. put together several different short ballads that serve as tributes that can give you a few ways to entertain.
9. Spongebob Squarepants Theme Song
Once you yell out, “Are you ready, kids?” Everyone will know what is coming in your acoustic set.
Even if people aren’t fans of the cartoon sponge, they’ll still get a laugh when you put together a touching ballad that lets people reflect on the perils of Bikini Bottom.
“Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?” You can get some audience participation by having them yell “Spongebob Squarepants!” back at you every time you reach that point in the song.
One duo put together a live acoustic version with a ukulele for added fun.
10. Tell Me Baby by Red Hot Chili Peppers
When Flea was doing an interview one day, he said that his favorite song from the band was called “One Note Samba.”
Some people think he was kidding, while others believe it’s something in their “other” category.
If you’re a fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, you could always do your acoustic version of “Californication.”
A better option would be to turn “Tell Me Baby” into an acoustic song for your set. It’s got a funky rhythm, some rap lyrics, and a slower bridge that will let people have a nostalgic experience.
“I’ll move you like a baritone. Jungle brothers on the microphone. Getting over with an undertone. It’s time to turn to stone.”
You could even replicate the moment in the official music video when the guy throws a chair into the wall.
11. Never Gonna Give You up by Rick Astley
It’s rare to find someone who has never heard this Rick Astley classic song. Even the music video is one of those moments that people remember from the 1980s. How can you ever get his crazy dance moves out of your head?
Once he starts singing, you can’t believe the sound comes out from that guy. It’s shocking in that way by itself.
“Never gonna give you up. Never gonna let you down. Never gonna run around and desert you.”
If you bust out an acoustic version of this song, you’ll definitely get some singalongs. It’s one of those titles to reserve when you need to get some extra interactions from your audience.
12. “Yoda” by Weird Al
This song is so rare to find online that people are making their own videos to commemorate this fun parody song. Since it’s already an acoustic version at the beginning, you’ll only need to change the chorus to get some laughs.
“I met him in a swamp down in Dagobah where it bubbles all the time like a giant carbonated soda, S-O-D-A, soda.
I saw the little runt sitting there on a log. I asked him his name, and in a raspy voice he said “Yoda.” Y-O-D-A, Yoda, yo-yo-yo-yo-Yoda.”
Anyone who loves Star Wars will appreciate this song.
13. Bodies (Let the Bodies Hit the Floor) by Drowning Pool
Most people know this Drowning Pool song because of the line that screams, “Let the bodies hit the floor!”
It’s an excellent song for turning into an acoustic masterpiece, especially with the original being a screamo-style heavy metal piece. The lyrics are straight forward.
“One – nothing’s wrong with me. Two – nothing’s wrong with me. Three – nothing’s wrong with me. Four – nothing’s wrong with me.”
If you add in some head-banging hair movement with the acoustic version, you’ll get some laughs – and maybe some eye rolls, but it’ll be worth it!
What Are Your Favorite Funny Acoustic Songs to Sing?
When you play a live gig, almost any acoustic song can inspire a laugh when it is 100% the opposite of your typical sound.
Those changes keep the audience engaged instead of zoning out like they would when listening to any Foo Fighters album.
You might not be singing until the end of time or waiting for years to make it big in Hollywood as a touring musician.
Most gigs will be in restaurants, bowling alleys, and small stages, where you might be lucky to have 50 people in the audience.
Those are the perfect opportunities to build a fan base. By singing one of these funny acoustic songs or one you prefer, you’ll get a chance to move up to the bigger stages.