There's a Discworld book, The Last Hero, in which the heroes (led by Cohen the Barbarian) kidnap a bard to suitably commemorate their epic last exploit (which involves blowing up the home of the gods). The book is profusely illustrated; at the beginning, the bard is shown as a stereotypical medieval troubador, with fancy-lad clothes, strumming a typical lute. At the end, he's wearing a ragged fur cloak, with tears streaming down his gaunt, haunted face, and he's playing a--yes!--lyre made out of a skull. (They don't give the words of his ballad, but I'd like to believe that it's to the tune of "Stairway to Heaven".)
P.S. Here we go!