# Cover songs better then the original **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 16, 2008, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-then-the-original/437837 "2008-02-16T00:00:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-then-the-original/437837/61 "2008-02-18T06:31:44Z")
[strike]ETA:[/strike] MTEW: **Raguleader** , I agree that Vanessa Carlton’s “Paint it Black” is better. I never like that song until I hear her sing it. And the Indigo Girls butchered “Romeo and Juliet.” They can’t do a love song like the way its meant to be. What is the strike through code??? ---
**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:** [February 18, 2008, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-then-the-original/437837/62 "2008-02-18T13:32:59Z")
[QUOTE=CoG888] [strike]ETA:[/strike] MTEW: **Raguleader** , I agree that Vanessa Carlton’s “Paint it Black” is better. I never like that song until I hear her sing it. And the Indigo Girls butchered “Romeo and Juliet.” They can’t do a love song like the way its meant to be. What is the strike through code??? [/QUOTE] {del} delete {/del}, only using brackets. Sinead O’Conner also does a superb cover of “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.” ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-then-the-original/437837/63 "2008-02-18T13:45:39Z")
[QUOTE=Tragically Dip] The Kinks did [“You Really Got Me”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2GmzyeeXnQ). Then, [Van Halen](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YRqkRmRocQ) did it. Anyone who thinks the original is better hates Jesus, America, and Cameros. [/QUOTE] And _you_ probably love El Caminos. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-then-the-original/437837/64 "2008-02-18T19:10:58Z")
[QUOTE=CoG888] \ Sarah’s ability to memorize me with her voice. \ [/QUOTE] I wonder if Sarah is aware of her ability - “Who is this guy who keeps showing up in my head when I sing?” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-then-the-original/437837/65 "2008-02-18T20:32:28Z")
[QUOTE=BwanaBob] Some band butchered Video Killed the Radio Star in a movie soundtrack can’t remember who)… [/QUOTE] IIRC, it would have been Bruce Wooley and the Camera Club. They did a version of “Video Killed the Radio Star” as well, and at around the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Gail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Gail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gail)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-then-the-original/437837/66 "2008-02-18T21:24:44Z")
I prefer Sixpnce None The Richer’s version of _Don’t Dream It’s Over_ and also their version of _There She Goes_. ---
**Author:** ![El\_DeLuxo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_deluxo/32/9043_2.png) [@El\_DeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_DeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-then-the-original/437837/67 "2008-02-18T22:34:26Z")
**Roky Erickson and the Aliens** covering the Velvets’ _Heroin_ live, on the **Gremlins Have Pictures** album. Their version spanks the original, eats its lunch, and then rockets that song out into the Van Allen Belt and brings it back home, in just under four-and-a-half minutes. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-then-the-original/437837/68 "2008-02-18T22:52:23Z")
[QUOTE=Meltdown] And, in a similar vein [The Gourds cover Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SunrKwykK_Y&feature=related) Also NSFW. [/QUOTE] I can’t believe someone beat me to this one. Well, if y’all give that a listen and enjoy it, you should check out Hayseed Dixie’s version of “Big Bottom.” ---
**Author:** ![evangelinagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@evangelinagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evangelinagirl)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-then-the-original/437837/69 "2008-02-18T22:56:09Z")
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow] I can’t believe someone beat me to this one. Well, if y’all give that a listen and enjoy it, you should check out Hayseed Dixie’s version of “Big Bottom.” [/QUOTE] You know, funny you should mention that song. I actually had a friend tell me about the song this past week. And then I had the opportunity to listen to it for myself. Great song. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-then-the-original/437837/70 "2008-02-27T01:14:53Z")
[QUOTE=Spoons] IIRC, it would have been Bruce Wooley and the Camera Club. They did a version of “Video Killed the Radio Star” as well, and at around the same time. [/QUOTE] No - Bruce Wooley was one of the cowriters of the song with Horn and Downes (The Buggles) - He did his own version the same year as The Buggles did (which was 1979 folks - not 1981 when MTV took to the air - it was already a faded hit in the UK). The mangling occurred in the 90’s in some angst ridden teen movie - maybe the amped up ROmeo and Juliet? Correction- it was ruined by The Presidents of the United States in The Wedding Singer soundtrack ! ---
**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:** [February 27, 2008, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-then-the-original/437837/71 "2008-02-27T04:24:45Z")
Some that come to mind… Sisters of Mercy **1969** was better than The Stooges version. The Mission **Like a Hurricane** I liked better than Neil Young’s. Bow Wow Wow’s **I Want Candy** blows away the original obscure artist’s version Camper Van Beethoven’s **Pictures of Matchstick Men** will always be the definitive version. My apologies for being stuck in the 80s 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Paragod22510](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b5ac83/32.png) [@Paragod22510](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paragod22510)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-then-the-original/437837/72 "2008-02-27T04:31:30Z")
Wild Horses by The Sundays over The Rolling Stones any day of the week. Harriet Wheeler’s voice is so wonderful, you can feel every emotion in her. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-then-the-original/437837/73 "2008-02-27T04:47:19Z")
its hard to say its “Better” in the same sense as most of these but Joss Stones cover of Fell in Love with a Girl is so transcended from the original White Stripes version its hard to believe they are in fact the same song. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-then-the-original/437837/74 "2008-02-27T21:04:00Z")
[QUOTE=Weirddave] Johnny Cash singing “Hurt”. [/QUOTE] Everyone and their dog seems to think so. Everyone and their dog is wrong. Johnny sounds like a sad wino. The NIN version is better, despite what Trent may say. I prefer the This Mortal Couil (Cocteau Twins, really) version of _Song To The Siren_ to the Buckley original. Marc Almond does a wonderful version of _Jackie_. The Bad Seeds do a lovely \*All Tomorrow’s Parties - which I like more than the Velvets (and I’m a huge VU fan). And I prefer the Bauhaus version of _Ziggy Stardust_ to David Bowie’s. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-then-the-original/437837/75 "2008-02-27T23:00:27Z")
[QUOTE=Roberta Plant] The original Sea of Love is just vapid poppy la-la. The Honeydripper’s version, w/ the orchestral background, is absolutely TRANSCENDENT. [/QUOTE] I love the remake of “Killing the Blues” ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-then-the-original/437837/76 "2008-02-28T03:24:55Z")
Even though I love Roy Orbison, I gotta say that Linda Ronstandt’s version of _Blue Bayou_ moves me much more. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-then-the-original/437837/77 "2008-02-28T12:41:55Z")
Deep Purple’s version of _Hush_ is my #1 knobtwister… Also, every country band in the world has done _Ghost Riders in the Sky_, but nobody in the world can top The Outlaws version. ---
**Author:** ![I\_m\_No\_Saint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/977dab/32.png) [@I\_m\_No\_Saint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_m_No_Saint)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-then-the-original/437837/78 "2008-02-28T13:36:11Z")
TRUSTcompany’s version of _Rock the Casbah_ blows away The Clash’s version. _ducks and runs_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-better-then-the-original/437837.md?page=3)