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Famous Songs Hilariously Reinterpreted as Witty One-Panel Cartoons

Hugleikur Dagsson song lyric comic

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas by Bing Crosby

Cartoonist Hugleikur Dagsson hilariously reinterprets the meaning of some of the world’s most popular songs. Ranging from timeless Christmas carols to chart-topping hits, the Icelandic artist uses them as inspiration for his deceptively simple-yet-clever line drawings. As a result, their biting wit puts a whole new spin on the melodies we thought we knew.

These one-panel cartoons are ripe with parody. Dagsson takes a snippet of a song—such as its title—and builds a whole stick-figure world around it. Often, the humor comes from his literal interpretation of these names and lyrics. Bruce Springsteen’s song Born to Run shows just that: a child sprinting away just moments after birth. Likewise, Céline Dion’s iconic My Heart Will Go On isn’t about love, but a speedy heart transplant.

In addition to word-for-word interpretation, Dagsson also comments on the modern world by reimagining nostalgia. Bing Crosby’s It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas was recorded in 1951, and they surely didn't imagine the long, never ending checkout lines seen today.

Dagsson sells his framed, original drawings through his website.

Anarchy in the UK by Sex Pistols

Anarchy in the UK by Sex Pistols

Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple

Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple

Hugleikur Dagsson song lyric comic


Every Breath You Take by The Police

Hugleikur Dagsson song lyric comic

Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen

Hugleikur Dagsson song lyric comic

My Heart Will Go On by Céline Dion

Hugleikur Dagsson song lyric comic

Rehab by Amy Winehouse

Hugleikur Dagsson song lyric comic

Hot in Here by Nelly

Hugleikur Dagsson song lyric comic

Who Let the Dogs Out by Baha Men

Hugleikur Dagsson song lyric comic

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper

Hugleikur Dagsson song lyric comic

My Name Is by Eminem

Hugleikur Dagsson song lyric comic

Killer Queen by Queen

Hugleikur Dagsson song lyric comic

Whip It by Devo

Hugleikur Dagsson song lyric comic

The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel

Hugleikur Dagsson song lyric comic

Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones

Hugleikur Dagsson song lyric comic

Like a Virgin by Madonna 

Hugleikur Dagsson song lyric comic

Wonderwall by Oasis 

Hugleikur Dagsson song lyric comic

Life on Mars by David Bowie

Hugleikur Dagsson: Website | Facebook | Tumblr
h/t: [Design You Trust]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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