“Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life” Is Requested At Funerals | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

you introduced me to him at a at a part. I mean again this is one of the gifts of. getting to go to Eric Idol's home is you. said oh here's Brian Cox and we chatted. and he's This brilliant mind and the. next thing you know. he's he's I I become somewhat you know. friendly with him and I think this is. you have salons you have it's nice what. you do you get really smart it's not. just funny people it's it it's music. people it's people from science it's.

from astrology it's people who are. historians and uh I can just see that. you have this endless joy for trying to. figure it all out I like putting people. together I like conversation but I love. love at the end of the evening is a. ding-dong we have a play and so I love. musicians and so I've always Got. Musicians um anybody like Brian Cox if. he's going to tell you about Quantum and. that's very nice over D you know uh but. and he also plays a piano so we we have. gigs just son George plays guitar wow.

and i' I've been playing with this group. who have been playing with the monkeys. and they're really great and we just sit. around and play hit after hit it's just. that's my H that's when I'm happiest. after dinner out come the guitars we. just sing for hour it's funny you say. this because like what is it about I've. love uh playing guitar um I could never. make a dime off of it uh but it's it's. it just uh it's my hobby and I really. love doing it it and I got to do the um.

Newport Folk Festival month or two ago. and there's there's footage of it and. I'm up there playing with all these. amazing people and Jack White came but. the comment that shows up every time I'm. up there is Conan seems this is the most. joyous I've I've ever seen Conan he. seems so much happier doing this than. con I thought I love comedy but they're. not wrong I love that sure.

and just playing and gigging with people. and having fun and listening because. it's a different part of your brain. you're not thinking you're not obsessive. and where's the next laugh you know. you're just feeling the next cord of the. I I I love that and I I I'm doing a show. now which is really a oneman musical. yeah and I do a couple of songs one's a. tribute to George Harrison I wrote which. I I really like cuz I miss him a lot and. one's to Robin which I wrote for his um. Memorial and it's a very sweet song and.

um I put up pictures of them and it's. it's kind of a nice way of recognizing. that people have moved on and gone and. say for well it isn't all like you know. it isn't all meling I mean there's a lot. of there some good jokes but well you've. written first of all it's the it's the. most requested song uh at funerals uh I. think in certainly in the in the UK. maybe in the world and watch the second.

that's a really good question actually. it was my way it. replaced which is really a terrible song. for when you're dying in it I did. it I smoked I smoked and smoked they. said I shouldn't but I did I ate fatty. foods they said I shouldn't but I did. you wrote always look on uh the bright. side of life and um it has.

it's such a great song I mean it's an. amazing scene in Life of. Brian and at the time I remember it. extremely controversial because you know. people are being they're on they're. dying they're on a crucifix and singing. always look on the bright side of life. and I think it's. everything it is the. perspective that I completely 100% agree. with uh which is this is terrible and. ridiculous and silly at the same time. that is something sometimes the only way.

we can go we can move on and it's just. and it's got my one of my life's got a. funny plot you're here and then you're. not like it's that's all there is to it. I think yes I I mean what's really funny. about always looking at the bright side. of life is you are being crucified yeah. there's very little to look forward. to at that point let's face it if. there's any I think you're being I think. Eric Eric I think you're being overly. negative yeah you're giving you're.

getting yeah you're getting a good. stretch in the low back oh God who you. are oh man between The L4 and. L5 gravity is giving you a little. pull but it is an ironic song and I. think it's a war song and I think it. comes from my father my their generation. their songs always like oh always look. on the bright the Blue Sky SK will open. you know blue birds over the they were. always about future optimism because. they're in a war yeah so I I think that.

that's what that sort of song is it's. just like a war song yeah and it was. played on the in the folklands when HMS. Sheffield was hit by an ex set and they. had to wait for rescue for three hours. they sang that for three hours and so I. I think there there is something. recognizing that it is a ridiculous. thing and and and teams you know seeing. it when they're losing at football I. mean they they move look on the bright. side you know there's nothing to look. forward to at that point right right. we're.

it's over there's not enough time left. um I have to ask you this cuz I know. that you've you talk about playing. guitar with uh these iconic musicians. you played for hours and probably. thousands of hours with George Harrison. you also stayed up all night once in. Rome playing with Keith Richards and I'm. just. curious how you can don't you leave your. body at some point and. say that's Keith Richards I'm playing. guitar with or that's George Harrison.

playing guitar with how do you get over. that oh I I think pretty quickly because. you you're play playing along you know. so you're in the moment if you're. playing with somebody and I luckily I I. had a pretty good back I had a jazz. guitar background so I I knew better. chords and they it often right but but. with Keith you know I mean Keith is like. the most extra he's like no coward you. know he behaves oh dear boy do come up. and have a what can I get you I mean. he's likeing wearing you know dressing. gowns and very calm you it's not where's.

the lunatic you know that's. hilarious oh come in please please do. come in and he's wearing like a calf. he's wearing a CF tan not a c tan. dressing gown dressing gown and a little. you. know boy would you can I get you a glass. of Brandy what would you like can you. take you know I mean quite quite a. different world of uh that you'd expect. and what we did sing all night that. night and um you know it was in Rome and. um went in Rome went in Rome so I was.

then the next I turn up at the set and. Cherry I hadn't got any words left it. was my last scene yeah and then Cherry. comes up to me he says I've written this. big new scene for us oh is this for. European Vacation yeah and I. went oh. so you had to lose a scene in. European Vacation cuz you were up all. night playing and singing with Keith I'm. sorry yes I well that's probably as good. an excuse as anybody yeah I think it's.

worth it yeah I'm going to miss the next. podcast I'm. sorry I was singing all night with Keith. Richards no no no he's he's in London. what are you talking about you're in the. Pacific Palisades you were with Richard. Keith. yeah um yes we got on this very dark. topic of death and everything you have. one of the funniest ideas ever I've. heard for an inscription on your. Tombstone which I really. like I'll tell you what it is because. you've clearly forgotten Eric Idol see.

Google I'm glad to know that still. stands up. yeah it's good I why why not I mean what. are we getting into here exactly the. rest is is nonsense yeah yeah I want to. thank you um it's a great day for me. when I get to spend uh any time with you. uh you're one of my alltime heroes and. you've changed my you changed my life in. so many ways with your work when I was a. young lad and you guys uh completely uh.

I think reordered the universe and. showed us all what could be done and I I. still think you're you're far ahead of. everyone else uh my love to your family. uh Tanya and and and of course Lily who. who I adore the book is the Spamalot. Diaries and it is a joyous read it's a. little harrowing at times but it's great. and it's a great book for anyone to read. who's in the process of trying to make. something happen it doesn't have it.

could it could be a Broadway play it. could be anything you're trying to do. it's very inspirational yes and so. you've given people a real gift here oh. that that's very kind I I like that I'm. glad that that's so because I I do think. it's a process not a miracle yeah and. let's end with just explaining our. shirts well the these shirts are to. raise money for statue uh for Terry. Jones uh and they're going to build a. statue for him on the promin.

in Wales um where he comes from colwin. Bay and they're raising money on a go. for funme basis and so we're here. promoting I think there should be a. statue to Sherry Jones I think this is a. lovely idea and um we're hoping it will. be the nude organist but we're not. sure and you said it was a GoFundMe is. that correct it's a gofund yes it is so. people can just well they can see Google. yeah h.