Laughter is the Key to Your Heart

If we were in any doubt about how closely laughter and love are interlinked we might look to song lyrics for evidence.  As it turns out, love and laughter are emotional soulmates. On this note, recently our generous gladmin (gladmin@laughter-lab.com) shared with me that she had investigated song lyrics and found an abundance of laughter.  Her favourite lyric “Fear is the lock and laughter the key to your heart” – Crosby, Stills and Nash – got me thinking just how many songs contain the words laugh or laughter since so many songs are about love. Love and laughter are such a powerful combination and live together. It’s not just romantic love either. Madonna in Dear Jennie (1989) sings “Hear the laughter through the love” about the love of a child.

Children laugh more than adults. Listening to children at play is often joyous. The peels of laughter and jumps of joy are heart-lifting. Bing Crosby (an oldie but goldie) sang about “A house that rings with joy and laughter and the ones you love inside”. He sang about a cottage. Perhaps there may be more laughter in a cottage than a castle. And when laughter is nearby, it spreads.

Dean Martin of Rat Pack fame predicted this contagion effect of laughter in his song “Powder your face with sunshine” released in 1949.

             “Powder your face with sunshine

             Put on a great big smile

             Make up your eyes with laughter

             Folks will be laughing with you in a little while

             Whistle a tune of gladness

             Blue never was in style

             The future's brighter when hearts are lighter

             Future's brighter, hearts are lighter

             When you're wearing a great big smile”

Since laughter signals human connection and safety we laugh more easily and frequently with those we are comfortable with. There is often a lot of laughter when people are having fun and across cultures the sound of laughter reflects vitality and vibrancy.

As The Toyes (1999) sang – “Live your life with love and laughter.” This Valentine’s Day let’s look for laughter and its soulmate love – both essential ingredients of a happy day.

Anna