Discover the story of the song > That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore – The Smiths

The lyrics describe a situation where the protagonist is driving and thinking about how people make jokes about feeling lonely and wanting to die. The protagonist doesn't find these jokes funny because they hit too close to home, and the song expresses the desire to be able to laugh but not being able to. The lyrics also mention seeing this happen in other people's lives, and now it's happening to the protagonist. So overall, the song is about the protagonist's struggle with feelings of loneliness and not being able to find humor in jokes about it.