# Cover Songs Better Than The Original **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 28, 2007, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764 "2007-09-28T02:36:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2007, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764/141 "2007-09-30T18:58:37Z")
For the record…(pun intended), The Grateful Dead WAS a cover band. Yes they did some original material but their repertoire was HUGE. Including too many Dylan songs to mention. Their cover of **Watchtower** (especially 4/1/2005 Memphis TN) was great…as was the cover of Al Greens **Take Me to the River** ; Only played three times, I was at all three shows. I like Leftover Salmons covers of Iko Iko/Brother John and their twist on lots of the Bluegrass masters tunes especially **Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow** tsfr ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764/142 "2007-10-01T02:07:52Z")
Alison Krause and Union Station - “Now That I’ve Found You”. ---
**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764/143 "2007-10-01T03:49:28Z")
“Walkin’ Blues” a Robert Johnson song from the 30’s has been covered by every blues band since, but the best ever version IMHO is by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764/144 "2007-10-01T12:25:04Z")
It doesn’t get any better than Louie Armstrong’s “Hello Dolly” ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764/145 "2007-10-01T12:57:07Z")
[QUOTE=Clothahump] Alison Krause and Union Station - “Now That I’ve Found You”. [/QUOTE] Hey speaking of bluegrass covers, Salamander Crossing did a bluegrass cover of Bruce Springsteen’s **“Two Faces Have I”** which I like better than the original. (And the original is damn good.) [You can find a sample here.](http://www.amazon.com/Passion-Train-Salamander-Crossing/dp/B000005DSB/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/002-2169314-0534457?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1191242975&sr=1-3) ---
**Author:** ![Killerjoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/51bf81/32.png) [@Killerjoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Killerjoke)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764/146 "2007-10-01T16:43:25Z")
I always enjoy two fairly close-to-the-original covers from back in my days working at a record store (mid 80’s, so yes it was a record store.) Just Walk Away Renee by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes (on the ‘At Least We Got Shoes’ album) is faithful to the Left Banke original, but I like it better. Hardly ever hear it, though. Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood by Elvis Costello (on his ‘King of America’ album) is also a pretty faithful cover of the Animals cover. I’ve never heard the Nina Simone original. Since I love Elvis, his is my favorite version. Wikipedia [tells me](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_Let_Me_Be_Misunderstood) that Cat Stevens has recently released a cover of it. If he still sounds as good as he did in the 70’s, that might be worth a listen, too. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764/147 "2007-10-03T01:27:50Z")
[QUOTE=NoCoolUserName] [Grumpy Old Person] … [/GOP] [/QUOTE] This explains some things! 😃_flees_ ---
**Author:** ![MerryMagdalen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@MerryMagdalen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MerryMagdalen)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764/148 "2007-10-03T03:49:22Z")
I prefer Rammstein’s version of “Stripped” to the Depeche Mode original. My sister, a huge DM fan, actually agrees with me, but says the original sounds better in the context of the album it’s on. Please don’t hurt me. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764/149 "2007-10-03T04:40:26Z")
[QUOTE=Sam Stone] There’s nothing wrong with Dolly, but in this case Jack White simply owns the song. Check out [this version](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVCq1etICQE) performed live on Conan. Fantastic. [/QUOTE] Sorry, but that version sucks big time. I don’t care who sold the most records of it, Dolly wrote it, and She owns it. Oh, and get off my lawn. ---
**Author:** ![Eolbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@Eolbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eolbo)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764/150 "2007-10-03T05:42:48Z")
[QUOTE=muzzynyc] Frente!'s version of New Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle” [/QUOTE] I was going to mention this one but you beat me to it. Great track. Melanie Safka’s version of ‘Ruby Tuesday’ ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764/151 "2007-10-03T06:47:52Z")
[QUOTE=muzzynyc] Lilly Allen’s version of Keane’s “Everybody’s Changing” [/QUOTE] Nooooooooo! :eek: > [@](#): > > Sinead O’Connor’s version of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” That’s what I came in here to say. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764/152 "2007-10-03T13:05:19Z")
A lot of good ones mentioned already. A few more I can think of: Dread Zeppelin - Your Time is Gonna Come Beseech - Gimme, Gimme, Gimme Jimmy Ellis - Rockin’ little angel Shonen Knife - Daydream Believer Tool - You Lied [QUOTE=GargoyleWB] **Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love** knocked **Elvis** out of the stadium [/QUOTE] You think so? Maybe you should listen to Elvis’ version again to compare. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764/153 "2007-10-03T16:39:31Z")
Dixie Chicks just blow me away with their version of “Landslide.” ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764/154 "2007-10-03T19:31:41Z")
The Brothers Johnson did Strawberry Letter 23 far better than Shuggie Otis, who can play guitar but can’t sing a lick. Sly Stone’s “Que Sera Sera” is better than the original- Doris Day perhaps? Also whatever r&b group redid Stevie Wonder’s “Lately” in the 90’s blew him out of the water. ---
**Author:** ![Ultraviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c77e96/32.png) [@Ultraviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ultraviolet)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764/155 "2007-10-03T21:58:27Z")
A bit late to the party, but what about Nick Cave and Shane MacGowan (from the Pogues) shambling through **What a wonderful world**. Puts a debauched and gleefully dark spin on the song. ---
**Author:** ![ShakWave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@ShakWave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShakWave)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764/156 "2007-10-03T23:34:26Z")
[QUOTE=MerryMagdalen] I prefer Rammstein’s version of “Stripped” to the Depeche Mode original. [/QUOTE] Chiming in with another vote on this one. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2007, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764/157 "2007-10-04T12:49:52Z")
Sarah Mclachlan’s cover of “Dear God” by XTC is brilliant. I like the original, I love her version. Gob did a cover of “Paint it Black” on the soundtrack for Stir of Echoes. I slightly prefer that version to the original, but that’s mostly because of some sound updating. That’s such a kick-ass song that practically all the (numerous) cover versions are worth listening to. There are some things I like about the NIN version of “Lost Souls” and some things I like about the original. I’ve got both and listen to them about equally. I might never have heard the original without being made aware of it by the cover, so that might give the edge to Reznor. I agree with an earlier poster that the alternate version of “Don’t Stand so Close to Me” by the Police was better than the single version. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2007, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764/158 "2007-10-04T13:07:15Z")
[QUOTE=Sleel] I agree with an earlier poster that the alternate version of “Don’t Stand so Close to Me” by the Police was better than the single version. [/QUOTE] I must have blocked that post out of my memory due to the psychic scars it left :eek: The original DSSCtM is the Police doing what the Police do best – a dark story behind a peppy rockin sound. DSSCtM86 sounds like they were all on downers. It does have a kick-ass drum intro, though. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2007, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764/159 "2007-10-04T14:23:41Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] 😕 That song was original to Queen. [Written by Freddie Mercury.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crazy_Little_Thing_Called_Love) You might be confused because it is a rockabilly song, in the _style_ of Elvis Presley. [/QUOTE] What? No way. Consider my ignorance dispelled. I’m even more impressed by the song now, it sounds so much like an Elvis cover that my own brain generated an Elvis original that I can still hear in my head. To restate, Queen’s version is much better than the one in my head 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2007, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764/160 "2007-10-04T16:53:04Z")
I specifically came in here to mention Alanis Morrisette’s cover of “My Humps” (I can’t stand the original–I quite like the cover) but somebody beat me to it. A couple more that others mentioned: Live’s cover of “I Walk the Line” and Johnny Cash’s of “Hurt.” Nothing specific comes to mind, but Richard Cheese did some fun covers of several songs (mostly rap) that I don’t like the originals of. Ah, yes: “Baby Got Back” is one of my favorite examples. The Flying Pickets did a very nice covers of Dylan’s “Masters of War” and Duran Duran’s “Psycho Killer.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-than-the-original/420764.md?page=9)