My parents called and said turn down the music.

This joke gets its laugh from a delightful blend of absurdity and situational irony. The humor stems from the unexpected reveal in the punchline, completely upending the initial premise. We instinctively assume that a parental command to "turn down the music" implies proximity, perhaps even being in the same room or house. The revelation that the speaker lives three hours away shatters this assumption, making the parents' demand utterly impossible and therefore hilariously ridiculous. It's an exaggeration that highlights the often-persistent nature of parental involvement, even across vast distances.

The real-world context here is incredibly relatable: the age-old dynamic of parents and their children's music choices. Almost everyone has experienced a parent telling them to lower the volume, whether it was their rock anthems, pop hits, or even a quiet jazz session. This common experience is amplified to a comedic extreme, playing on the stereotype of parents who, no matter how far away their children move, still maintain a watchful (or, in this case, audibly sensitive) eye. It's a playful jab at the idea that some parental instincts, like policing noise levels, are truly timeless and boundless.