Rufus Wainwright‘s public persona is one of being quite self-serious. Whether composing an opera, setting Shakespeare’s sonnets to music, or staging a reprisal of Judy Garland’s show at Carnegie Hall, he’s a modern artist with a penchant for the dramatic. Of course, if you’ve seen Wainwright in concert, you know he has quite the wry wit.

The lesser known lighter side of Wainwright went on display last week, as the singer-songwriter sent himself up on Funny Or Die by applying his sonorous baritone to some of the world’s most lightweight material. These instantly familiar tunes never hit the charts, but certainly received a ton of airtime in their day — chewing gum jingles.

Wainwright, meet Wrigley:

Don’t assume Wainwright is always packing. If you should spot him on the street and ask for a stick, there’s a fair chance he’ll tell you he’s out of the gum.

Free download of Rufus Wainwright’s gum jingles via Funny Or Die. His latest album, Out Of The Game, is out now via iTunes, Amazon MP3.