A Study in the Use of “Irony”

An old man turned ninety-eight
He won the lottery and died the next day  -Could be ironic if we established he had been playing the lottery his entire life, and never won until now
It’s a black fly in your Chardonnay  -Gross, but not ironic. Would be ironic if you were drinking a grasshopper, or mead
It’s a death row pardon two minutes too late  -Unfortunate, not ironic
And isn’t it ironic… don’t you thinkIt’s like rain on your wedding day  -Unfortunate, not ironic
It’s a free ride when you’ve already paid – Ironic!
It’s the good advice that you just didn’t take -Need to know nature of advice and consequence of not taking it  to judge irony
Who would’ve thought… it figures

Mr. Play It Safe was afraid to fly
He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids goodbye
He waited his whole damn life to take that flight
And as the plane crashed down he thought
“Well isn’t this nice…” -Sort of ironic, more of a coincidence
And isn’t it ironic… don’t you think

It’s like rain on your wedding day
It’s a free ride when you’ve already paid
It’s the good advice that you just didn’t take
Who would’ve thought… it figures

Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
When you think everything’s okay and everything’s going right
And life has a funny way of helping you out when
You think everything’s gone wrong and everything blows up
In your face

A traffic jam when you’re already late  -Unfortunate, not ironic
A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break   -Unfortunate, not ironic. Would be ironic if you worked at Phillip Morris.
It’s like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife -Ironic!
It’s meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful wife  -Unfortunate, not ironic
And isn’t it ironic…don’t you think
A little too ironic…and, yeah, I really do think…

It’s like rain on your wedding day
It’s a free ride when you’ve already paid
It’s the good advice that you just didn’t take
Who would’ve thought… it figures

Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
Life has a funny, funny way of helping you out
Helping you out

 

2 thoughts on “A Study in the Use of “Irony””

  1. Had a Lit. professor that went over this. Just read it in class and stated after each line why it wasn’t ironic. It was hilarious.

  2. thank you! it’s so nice to hear someone clarify this!
    is it ironic that she claims to be ironic, although she’s not?

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