# Cover songs that are better than the originals **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 5, 2003, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-that-are-better-than-the-originals/159159 "2003-03-05T03:00:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-that-are-better-than-the-originals/159159/121 "2003-03-20T06:47:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by nitroglycerine \* > \*\*Stepping Stone-Minor Threat > and the NUMBER 1 ALL TIME GREATEST COVER SONG EVER IN THE KNOWN UNIVERSE… > ISTANBUL (not Constantinople) by They Might Be Giants. > > Jon \*\* I second those two, even though I didn’t know that Istanbul was a cover. 🙂 And the other two I need to add are: Only The Good Die Young: Descendents \> Billy Joel Fortunate Son: Circle Jerks \> Creedence Clearwater Revival (even though the CCR one is really good too) ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-that-are-better-than-the-originals/159159/122 "2003-03-21T06:45:56Z")
Everclear’s “The Boys Are Back In Town” R.E.M.'s “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and “First We Take Manhattan” Ben Folds Five’s “Barrytown” Foo Fighters live cover of “Carry On My Wayward Son” (if only for Dave Grohl’s plea, “Who knows the farking words? I don’t know the words to this song. You do? You swear to God?”–and the subsequent bringing of an audience member onstage to sing the verses) ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-that-are-better-than-the-originals/159159/123 "2003-03-21T08:10:30Z")
\*\*Joan Baez’ \*\* cover of \*\*Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts \*\* far outshines \*\*Dylan’s \*\* version, but about half of his stuff fits that mold. For real fun, pick up the \*\*Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration \*\* CD, for such fun covers as **Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready** doing **Masters of War** **John Cougar Mellancamp** doing \*\*Like a Rolling Stone \*\* \*\*Chrissie Hynde \*\*doing **I Shall Be Released** and **Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers** doing **Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35** And all of this in front of a large, enthusiasticc audience. Other performers include Ron Wood, Richie Havens, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, Lou Reed, Kris Kristofferson, Tracy Chapman, Johnny Winter, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Roseanne Cash, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Willie Nelson. A night to remember… IIRC, there’s also a video available. ---
**Author:** ![cletus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@cletus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cletus)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-that-are-better-than-the-originals/159159/124 "2003-04-11T07:24:20Z")
Tool’s Sober covered by Staind (live) ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-that-are-better-than-the-originals/159159/125 "2003-04-11T08:12:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by brianjedi \* > **"Hurt" by Johnny Cash (NIN original)** I was coming to post EXACTLY this one. Cash’s version makes me weep. The NIN version…eh. Several of my other ones have also been mentioned (Joan Baez’ The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Shonen Knife’s On Top of the World, BNL’s Lovers in a Dangerous Time, TMBG’s Istanbul). Goldernit! Cocker’s With a Little Help From My Friends is, while not BETTER than the Beatles version, as good. I’m finding I prefer Uncle Kracker’s Drift Away to the Dobie Grey original. ---
**Author:** ![TwasMimsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TwasMimsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwasMimsy)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-that-are-better-than-the-originals/159159/126 "2003-04-11T12:17:15Z")
I love the Beatles as much…no, more…than the next person. And usually I hate Beatles covers just on principle. But for some reason, Joe Cocker’s version of “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window” just kicks a whole lot of butt. Also…“She Don’t Use Jelly” done by Ben Folds Five–was it originally done by The Flaming Lips? I think that’s right. Anyway, it’s got some great percussion and strings. Ends up souding sort of…tango-esque. Also–“My Girl” by Elvin Bishop, even though it’s somewhat white-ified. Especially at the end when he goes “woahhh woahhh my girl” a bunch of times. Oh–and there’s this CD that’s a tribute to Fleetwood Mac’s album “Rumours” with a lot of famous artists doing the songs over. Strangely enough, two of the most original covers are done by the bands I find most boring, Matchbox 20 and the Goo Goo Dolls. Maybe radio pop stars are not so bad after all. ---
**Author:** ![fiztig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f19dbf/32.png) [@fiztig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiztig)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-that-are-better-than-the-originals/159159/127 "2003-04-11T12:36:24Z")
_Mad World_ covered by **Gary Jules** , originally by **Tears for Fears** , and featured on the _Donnie Darko_ soundtrack. Most depressing song. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-that-are-better-than-the-originals/159159/128 "2003-04-11T18:12:34Z")
The Rolling Stones cover of “Just My Imagination” is great. I like the original too but their take on it is pretty great. ---
**Author:** ![doomraisin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d78d45/32.png) [@doomraisin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doomraisin)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-that-are-better-than-the-originals/159159/129 "2003-04-11T20:48:28Z")
Allison Krause covered The Foundations’ _Baby Now That I’ve Found You_ and it’s better than the original and the original is very good. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-that-are-better-than-the-originals/159159/130 "2003-04-12T00:27:30Z")
Joni Mitchell wrote **Woodstock** but of course the version by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young is the one that is fixed in my head. Here’s an obscure one. I love the cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s **America** that was covered by Yes. Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-that-are-better-than-the-originals/159159/131 "2003-04-12T00:38:52Z")
Not sure if it’s better, but I sure love Johnny Cash’s version of Nine Inch Nail’s “Hurt” ---
**Author:** ![presidebt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c37758/32.png) [@presidebt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/presidebt)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-that-are-better-than-the-originals/159159/132 "2003-04-12T00:48:29Z")
Someone may have already mentioned this, I skimmed, didn’t see it. Sweet Jane, done well by Velvet Underground, stick-a-fork-in-it done by the Cowboy Junkies. Smoh-keee. ---
**Author:** ![Daikona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@Daikona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daikona)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-that-are-better-than-the-originals/159159/133 "2003-04-12T01:38:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tengu \* > **I was coming to post EXACTLY this one. Cash’s version makes me weep. The NIN version…eh.** :eek: _Tell_ me I didn’t just see you say that. Remind to to thwap you later. 😛 Ok, I should say something on topic. I like Less Than Jake’s “I Think I Love You” way better than… whoever did it before, I can’t think of it right now. ---
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-that-are-better-than-the-originals/159159/134 "2003-04-12T02:19:04Z")
> [@](#): > > Nirvana’s cover of David Bowie’s The Man Who Sold the World and the Vaseline’s Molly’s Lips far surpass the originals. I also thought their cover of the Vaseline’s **Son of a Gun** was vastly superior. But come on, the Vaselines suck so any cover of their song s will sound better. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-that-are-better-than-the-originals/159159/135 "2003-04-12T03:06:41Z")
All covers done by the Beatles (yes, even “Mr. Moonlight”) and by Frank Zappa. Devo’s covers of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and “Secret Agent Man.” ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-that-are-better-than-the-originals/159159/136 "2003-04-12T15:44:20Z")
Archergal writes: \> Fields of Gold by Eva Cassidy. Or, for that matter, Eva Cassidy’s version of “Somewhere over the Rainbow” or her versions of a number of other songs. She was often able to better the original version of the song. ---
**Author:** ![nitroglycerine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nitroglycerine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitroglycerine)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-that-are-better-than-the-originals/159159/137 "2003-04-16T15:49:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Daikona \* > \*\*:eek: > > _Tell_ me I didn’t just see you say that. Remind to to thwap you later. 😛 > > Ok, I should say something on topic. I like Less Than Jake’s “I Think I Love You” way better than… whoever did it before, I can’t think of it right now. \*\* Ooohhh…The Band Ism did a killer version of that song. Its on one of the KILLED BY DEATH comps. Jon ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-that-are-better-than-the-originals/159159/138 "2003-04-16T16:39:53Z")
I like the Gob version of “Paint It Black”. Also the new dance version of “Heaven” is nice. Not a big Bryan Adams fine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-songs-that-are-better-than-the-originals/159159.md?page=6)