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Whether you are skilled at an instrument, or you struggle to carry a tune, you still can laugh at these The Far Side comics about music.
The Far Side entertained readers throughout the 1980s and '90s with its trademark absurdist and surreal humor. Appearing in newspapers across the United States and around the world, the single-panel comic, written and drawn by Gary Larson, is one of the most popular comic strips of all time. Practically every profession appeared in The Far Side at some point, but one subject that Larson returned to often was music.
Musicians have a job that can often be stressful. In a live performance, any lapse in concentration can be disastrous. On the other hand, music is universally relatable, whether a person enjoys symphonic concerts, jazz, or just the music in the background of their favorite movie. From the first sounds made by cavemen at the dawn of civilization to the heights of an orchestral symphony, The Far Side has lampooned every type of imaginable musician.
This Scientific Experiment Becomes a Musical Audition
Whale Songs Have a Broad Catalog
In The Far Side, Gary Larson often wrote about two things he loves: music and science. As a musician, he brought accurate musical knowledge to his jokes. In 1987, his jokes were honored by The California Academy of Science and the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of Natural History for their accuracy. In this panel, Larson brings those two loves together.
In one of his funniest Far Side music cartoons, a science vessel is at sea, and the readers observe a scientist listening through a reel-to-reel recording a whale song. But he has to check his settings because, below the ship, a whale comes up to the microphone and sings its rendition of "Louie, Louie." Readers only get part of the first line, but ironically, the verses continue to tell of an amorous boy who has to catch a ship to get back to his girl, making this comic a great opener for the list at the number 15 spot.
A Classic Argument Is Resolved For Now
But the Band Will Strike Up Again
In this Far Side comic, readers are privy to the end of a classic argument between couples. It's been happening so long that readers don't need any context to know that the couple has been arguing about the source of a particular noise. He says it's just the wind, but she doesn't think so. Finally, she gives up and tentatively agrees.
What makes this cartoon so funny is what Larson first brings to the reader's attention. It's not the argument but a band of monsters in the downstairs living room with their instruments. One monster's mouth stretches out to form a big 'O' so that before the readers read the caption, they have the impression of howling. The fact that the couple has been arguing about whether this monster band is "just the wind" makes a wonderful punchline.
The Far Side Reveals the Music's Primitive Beginnings
Cavemen play a One-Note Composition
In this panel, Larson brings together two of his recurring settings, music and cavemen, to tell the story of the humble beginnings of orchestral music. The small orchestra pictured here has a primitive tubal player, another caveman holding a wind instrument, and two primitive percussion players. The reader also sees the conductor holding up his baton, which calls for the orchestra to be ready to play.
His music is prominent on the conductor's stand, which displays written music in its shortest and simplest form. There is only one measure (without a time signature) and only one note on it. Even the note is short. In musical notation, it is written as an eighth note. While not the shortest note in musical notation, it's pretty close, making this the simplest and most primitive piece ever written.
In The Far Side, Loud Music Has Consequences
That's Especially True If It Involves the Tuba And Banjo
In this Far Side cartoon about music, Larson shows the consequences of practicing music in what appears to be an apartment building. There is a number 12 on the door, as one would expect to find in an apartment complex. Two people innocently practice their instruments, but the other apartment dwellers have something to say about it because these aren't just any instruments.
The tuba and banjo are notorious for being louder than other instruments. These two unfortunate musicians have combined them. Just seeing a banjo and tuba being played together is amusing enough. But people pushing through the door with a club, torch, and pitchfork is hilarious.
Some People Just Aren't Cut Out For Music
In The Far Side, These Cymbal Players Don't Cut It
Not everyone is suited to be a musician. Learning to play an instrument takes dedication and a lot of practice. But, of course, some instruments are easier to play than others. In an orchestra, cymbal players tend to have it easy. The hardest thing they have to do is count accurately so they know when to come in.
However, this cymbal player is having a rough time in The Far Side, but not because of a lack of effort. He has swung his cymbals together with so much force that his hat flies off. But the cymbals completely miss each other. At the table sits, one assumes, the conductor, whose mouth is open. His mouth could be open in shock. But the reader can easily imagine him shouting, "Get out!"
The Far Side Imagines An Orchestra Conductor's Nightmare
He Has It On the Eve Of the Concert
One theme that The Far Side returns to over and over is nightmares. Depending on a person’s profession or situation, those nightmares cover a wide range of subjects, but in typical Far Side style, the dreams in question are always somewhat absurd. In this The Far Side comic, Gary Larson imagines the nightmares of an orchestra conductor.
Becoming a professional orchestral musician is quite a difficult process, and only the best musicians can find work in professional symphonies. Despite this high bar, the musicians are all completely incompetent in this maestro's dreams. This comic strip also shows how good The Far Side was at telling jokes without using any words, which is why it takes the tenth spot in the rankings.
Musicians Are Surprisingly Clueless In The Far Side
This Panel Is Another Poke At a Conductor's Fears
Many of The Far Side comics get a laugh by showing people who are incompetent at their jobs. In the real world, people rarely achieve skilled positions without at least a basic level of competency. The Far Side usually relies on absurdity for its humor, and imagining completely incompetent people in high-pressure jobs is always humorous to readers,
Orchestral musicians study their whole lives to play their instrument, including learning to read music early. The idea that a musician in an orchestra could be in a concert and not know how to read the sheet music is far-fetched. Of course, far-fetched and absurd humor is The Far Side’s specialty, and the look on the conductor's face makes this joke brilliant.
The Far Side Features Music For Every Type Of Animal
That Includes Jazz At the Wool Club
The Far Side often features animals rather than people in its comics. Sometimes, the animals in The Far Side are doing typical animal activities. The comic usually shows animals performing human behaviors, either to comment on the absurdity of the behavior or, in this case, to create an amusing play on words.
This Far Side cartoon features a jazz club populated by sheep playing instruments and watching from the audience. In its single panel, this Far Side comic makes two separate references. First, the “Wool Club” is a play on the famous Cotton Club venue in Harlem where the Duke Ellington Band first played. Second, the sheep requesting “bebaaa” music combines bebop, a musical style within jazz, and the sounds of sheep.
Musicians Get a Special Kind of Hell in The Far Side
It Revolves Around the Banjo, Of Course
Religion, particularly the nature of heaven and hell, are frequent topics for some of the funniest The Far Side cartoons. Every type of person, profession, and animal has their version of hell in The Far Side. Gary Larson imagines a personal hell for a sophisticated orchestra conductor in this comic.
Conducting an orchestra is a complex task, involving leading players to blend the sounds of many different instruments into a cohesive and pleasing whole. Banjos are usually very loud and don't have much dynamic range compared to other musical instruments. For someone accustomed to such a precise musical sound, the idea of a room full of twanging banjos, most likely played by amateurs, truly would be a version of hell.
Musicians In The Far Side Try to Set The Mood
Larson Often Breaks the Fourth Wall Of Soundtracks
Most TV shows and movies feature some type of soundtrack. The music played behind visuals on the screen can often set the mood and control how viewers experience any given scene. For example, a creepy horror movie clip would seem far less scary with a jaunty polka playing in the background.
The Far Side often uses clever humor and assumes its audience has a basic general level of knowledge about most subjects. Here, the comic relies on readers understanding the difference between major and minor keys in music. A minor key can give music an ominous feel, which is why it often accompanies the appearance of an evil character on screen.
Heaven And Hell Each Have Their Instruments
In The Far Side, the Accordion Belongs To Hell
In Western culture, harps are often associated with heaven and angels. The lyrical sound of a harp played well can often convey a peaceful feeling, which is undoubtedly why the association exists. An equivalent instrument for hell doesn’t exist within popular culture, so Gary Larson designed a Far Side comic to change that.
If heaven is represented by an instrument that is melodic and tranquil, then hell should be represented by an instrument that is loud and can make horrible noises. In The Far Side, that instrument is the accordion. The choice will make sense for anyone who has heard an accordion played poorly, which is why this musical panel sits at the fifth spot on the list.
The Far Side Gives This Cowboy a Piano
It's a Weighty Replacement For the Harmonica
Cowboys and Westerns were very common subjects for The Far Side cartoons. The genre is popular and universally recognizable, which makes it a great choice for comics that would resonate with many readers. In Western movies or TV shows, cowboys often gather around a fire and sing songs or play small instruments like the harmonica, which can be easily carried in one's pocket.
The Far Side could often be quite weird because it often leaned on absurdity for its humor. In this Far Side comic, that weirdness lies in the idea of a cowboy carrying not a small instrument like a harmonica but a full-sized piano in his back "pocket." Any horse would surely collapse under the weight of a piano, but of course, that absurdity makes The Far Side funny.
Caveman Orchestra Musicians Are Brutally Competitive in The Far Side
Their Instruments Can Double As Weapons
Over the years, The Far Side comics touched on many subjects and characters. Certain groups appeared in The Far Side more than others, though, and one of the most common casts of characters for Far Side cartoons was Cavemen. Modern human culture is already ridiculous, but imagining a more primitive version makes even the most common activities hilarious.
In this comic, The Far Side imagines what a primitive orchestra might look like, with cavemen playing music with simple objects like sticks and rocks. Competition in orchestras is fierce even today. However, when viewed through the lens of primitive humanity’s violent tendencies, rivalries between musicians become even more savage.
The Far Side Belies the Seriousness Of Orchestral Musicians
It Shows Them Making Silly Mistakes
Many of the best Far Side comics feature people in high-pressure jobs. Percussionists have one of the most nerve-wracking jobs in any orchestra. Unlike violinists, who can sometimes hide as part of a large section, percussionists often play loud instruments at infrequent intervals with many bars of rest between entrances. If they get their part wrong, everyone is going to hear.
This Far Side comic features a percussionist playing the cymbals. The character clearly has some embarrassing moments in the past, as he is reassuring himself that this time, he won’t mess up his part. Of course, he is missing half of his instrument, making it impossible to get it right.
This Elephant Isn't Suited To the Piano
But The Flute Doesn't Suit It Either
The best and funniest The Far Side comic about music returns to the common theme of nightmares. This time, however, the person having the nightmare isn’t a human; it’s an elephant who dreams that he is performing on stage at a piano. Given the shape of an elephant’s feet, it’s unlikely that the concert will go well.
The idea of an elephant dreaming about playing the piano is absurd enough, but this The Far Side cartoon takes musical humor one step further. The elephant isn’t terrified because it’s physically impossible for him to play the piano, as the reader might assume. Rather, it's because the elephant plays the flute–an even more implausible scenario than the one pictured, making this the funniest Far Side joke about music on this list.
