Always Look on the Bright Side of Life Is the Song That Makes Me Smile

Eric Idle, Monty Python, Life of Brian and that song, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, make me smile. The song is one of those simple little ditties that sticks in your head but you don't mind. It is such a feel good song that it doesn’t matter if you find the lyrics repeating themselves over and over for the rest of the day. There is nothing better than a simple ditty that simply makes you feel good. For me, the theme from Monty Python’s Life of Brian is that song.

The Monty Python crew came into my life when I was in my teens and I have to admit I didn’t find them a bit funny at the time. It was my most conservative uncle who watched the show religiously on a weekly basis. I was staying with him and my aunt at the time and I could not understand why the world as we knew it stopped for sixty minutes on a Saturday night. I had no idea what he was laughing about.

Did the sketches get funnier as I matured or was it once the gang started to produce movies, my sense of humour had changed? There are still some bits from the show and their movies where I feel they just went that little bit too far, but for the most I can easily laugh till I cry even if I’ve seen the skit a hundred times. In fact some of it gets funnier the more times I watch. The anticipation of knowing what’s coming next, trying to hold back the chuckle until the appropriate moment can be challenging.

Monty Python launched their own video channel on YouTube as a way of fighting back against the rip offs that have been playing on the site for years. They say their clips will be brand new, high quality versions instead of the rubbish that’s already out there.

The Lumberjack Song was first heard in Episode Nine of the Monty Python Circus series. Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Fred Tomlinson all had a hand in the writing and composition of the musical ditty. The opening line 'I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay' tells all there is to know about this catchy tune that will run around in your subconscious for days after hearing it. 'I sleep all night and I work all day.'

Knights of the Round Table. They're the knights of the round table, they dance when they're able, they do routines and chorus scenes. The song was written for the movie the Holy Grail and it's incredibly difficult to keep ones toes and feet flat on the ground while listening to this one.

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life sings Eric Idle as he hangs by his hands and feet on the cross. He portrays a man sent to his death on a crucifix to die next to Brian and manages to find the positive in any circumstance. The words are simple yet effective and the sing-along tune made it as a favourite choice of funeral songs in the UK even claiming number one status on the top 20 list of best funeral songs for 2014.

Eric Idle takes a few minutes to respond to some of the absurd questions asked by YouTube fans and followers.

The Life of Brian is a lighthearted movie about the Messiah, even though his mother claims, "he's not the Messiah, he's just a very naughty boy". At the moment of crucifixion when Brian starts to feel despondent, a voice from the left says, "cheer up Brian, don't grumble give a whistle" and always looks on the bright side of life.

This is my contribution to Song 3 in the 30 Day Song Challenge - A Song That Makes You Happy. Always Look on the Bright Side of Life is not the only song that makes me happy, but it sure does make me smile every time I hear it.