**[Verse 1]** I got dumped by text on Valentine's Day, he said "It's not you, it's me" But I knew it was me when he posted pics with my best mate by three So I wrote a joke about heartbreak, made the whole pub laugh till they cried Turns out my pain makes great entertainment when I swallow my pride **[Chorus]** Punchlines and lifelines, they're closer than you think Sometimes you gotta laugh to keep from falling off the brink What doesn't kill you makes you funnier, or so the saying goes The best comedians are the broken ones, everybody knows **[Verse 2]** My mother called me worthless every day until I turned eighteen So I learned to make self-deprecating jokes, kept my armor clean Now I'm on stage every Friday night, making light of childhood scars Getting paid to share my trauma with strangers at the bars **[Chorus]** Punchlines and lifelines, they're closer than you think Sometimes you gotta laugh to keep from falling off the brink What doesn't kill you makes you funnier, or so the saying goes The best comedians are the broken ones, everybody knows **[Verse 3]** Lost my job, lost my house, lost my dignity in one fell swoop But I gained material for my act about life going down the poop Turns out bankruptcy's hilarious when you tell it with the right timing Silver lining to disaster is the comedy I'm mining **[Bridge]** They say tragedy plus time equals comedy, but I think they got it wrong Sometimes tragedy plus microphone equals a healing song Every tear I've ever cried has been recycled into gold When the audience is laughing, I don't feel so alone and cold **[Verse 4]** My therapist said "Have you tried not making jokes about your pain?" I said "Doc, that's like asking if I've tried not breathing in the rain" She didn't laugh, I fired her, found one with a sense of humor Now we both crack up at my disasters, laughter beats the tumor **[Verse 5]** So here's to all the broken hearts and all the shattered dreams To every epic failure and all those silent screams We'll turn our mess into our message, our pain into our art 'Cause sometimes the only way to heal is to make comedy from the heart **[Final Chorus]** Punchlines and lifelines, they're the same damn thing Sometimes you gotta laugh to make your broken spirit sing What doesn't kill you makes you funnier, and that's the honest truth The best comedians are the survivors who never lost their youth Punchlines and lifelines, punchlines and lifelines [Quote] "There's a thin line between anger and comedy; I dance upon it daily." - Richard Pryor
