Love is a complicated feeling to translate into words, even though since the beginning of the humanity, love is demonstrated in verses of poetry, romantic letters, and lyrics that lull passionate hearts. How many times have we reproduced, loud and clear, romantic songs celebrating love (or crying for the lack of it) as if nothing in the world were more important than this noble feeling?
But have you ever stopped to analyse the lyrics of these songs thoroughly? The result of this analysis may be surprising you. Many of these lyrics are not as innocent as they seem and can carry obsessive, possessive, and even psychopathic traits about the beloved lover. A true horror show!
Starting from this ambiguity concept about how love is retranslated in the musical universe, the Brazilian graphic designer and illustrator Butcher Billy got the idea of turning popular hits into book covers of horror writer Stephen King.
The series of illustrations, entitled “Stephen King’s Stranger Love Songs” match part of famous pop songs with Mr King style cover books. Classics such as Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart, “Head Over Heels” by Tears For Fears, “Every Breath You Take” by The Police, “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler, and many others are portrayed in a very unusual way.
On his Behance, the artist – who had his work exhibited in contemporary art galleries in cities like London, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Lisbon and Dubai – explain the conception of the idea.
“This series imagines an alternate universe where some of the most desperate and tragic romantic songs in the ‘70s and’ 80s are books written by Stephen King. The concept is to look at the dark side of love by the vision of pop culture, bringing aspects of its classic stories to play the true meaning of the songs – this can be completely subverted or stressed strangeness while paying tribute to the vintage design of the original covers,” he says.
T-shirts, portraits and photographies of the series are selling at this site. Other artist projects are available on his page on Tumblr.
