# Cover Versions Of Songs That Are Much Better... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 25, 2019, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628 "2019-07-25T19:02:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2019, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628/21 "2019-07-25T23:45:25Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > The masters of covers songs - [The Dickies!](http://www.thedickies.com/) > > Their covers kill the originals! > > Knights in White Satin > Eve of Destruction > Paranoid > Silent Night > Sounds of Silence > The Banana Splits theme song > Communication Breakdown See also: [Me First and the Gimme Gimmes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Me_First_and_the_Gimme_Gimmes) [youtube link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFIZY4Xg7d0) ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2019, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628/22 "2019-07-25T23:45:28Z")
My pre-pubescent heart beat wildly for [The Bee Gees and How Can You Mend A Broken Heart](https://youtu.be/bpZuAtwDfag), I mean they wrote the thing. But you gotta admit Al Greene takes this song to a [whole ‘nuther’ level](https://youtu.be/UgAFcvIw8J4) ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2019, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628/23 "2019-07-25T23:51:11Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Johnny Cash’s _[Hurt](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FywSzjRq0e4)_ gets a win with a very narrow margin over Nine Inch Nails’ original. Yes, Cash does a fantastic re-interpretation of the original (and it was not long before he passed away.) Also the accompanying video won awards. Trent Reznor, who wrote the song said " It really made me think about how powerful music is as a medium and art form. I wrote some words and music in my bedroom as a way of staying sane, about a bleak and desperate place I was in, totally isolated and alone. [Somehow] that winds up reinterpreted by a music legend from a radically different era/genre and still retains sincerity and meaning – different, but every bit as pure." ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2019, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628/24 "2019-07-25T23:51:56Z")
_Shinedown_ did a cover of _Lnynrd Skynrd_ [Simple man](https://youtu.be/-yabgCD-AQ4). While I’ve always liked the original, this cover blows that one away. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2019, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628/25 "2019-07-25T23:52:32Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > My pre-pubescent heart beat wildly for [The Bee Gees and How Can You Mend A Broken Heart](https://youtu.be/bpZuAtwDfag), I mean they wrote the thing. But you gotta admit Al Greene takes this song to a [whole ‘nuther’ level](https://youtu.be/UgAFcvIw8J4) Green and Lyle Lovett recorded a fantastic version of Willie Nelson’s [Funny How Time Slips Away](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY7jt9aBnSc), too. On the flip side, I prefer Talking Heads’ cover of Green’s Take Me to the River. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2019, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628/26 "2019-07-25T23:56:25Z")
[Emma Franklin originated the song](https://youtu.be/L0QAxIKf8G4), but Janis [actually reached down a pulled out a part of her soul for this song.](https://youtu.be/j0f5ZG9LG6k) ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628/27 "2019-07-26T00:06:53Z")
In the mid 90s the R and B group Blackstreet had a song called [No Diggity](https://youtu.be/1ymZLKz7mac). About 15 or so years later, a group named Chet Faker did a [cover](https://youtu.be/HIfFA8-RaHQ) that completely transformed the song while managing to keep the style of the original. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628/28 "2019-07-26T00:08:24Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I don’t think that link went where you thought it did. > > Someone mentioned Dylan. Probably the best cover song ever is Jimi’s version of “All Along the Watchtower.” > > The Byrds version of “Mr. Tambourine Man” is also better than the original. Oops, thanks. The Fiona Apple version [Across the Universe](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXE1C--WezU), if anyone cares. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628/29 "2019-07-26T00:17:45Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > In the mid 90s the R and B group Blackstreet had a song called [No Diggity](https://youtu.be/1ymZLKz7mac). > > About 15 or so years later, a group named Chet Faker did a [cover](https://youtu.be/HIfFA8-RaHQ) that completely transformed the song while managing to keep the style of the original. I didn’t know there was a Muzak version of _No Diggity._ They managed to strip everything out of that song that made it great. An accomplishment, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628/30 "2019-07-26T00:20:58Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > I didn’t know there was a Muzak version of _No Diggity._ They managed to strip everything out of that song that made it great. An accomplishment, I guess. Ok then. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628/31 "2019-07-26T00:26:58Z")
As far as being an improvement on the original, my top vote goes to Milky Chance and their cover of Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off”. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/rL_r4v4ROpo/maxresdefault.jpg "Milky Chance cover Taylor Swift 'Shake It Off' for Like A Version") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL_r4v4ROpo) ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628/32 "2019-07-26T00:30:45Z")
Feist - [Inside and Out](https://youtu.be/Sm8hk1mceNA) The Bee-Gees original is pretty bad. ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_First_Time)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628/33 "2019-07-26T00:58:04Z")
Alien Ant Farm’s rendition of Smooth Criminal is way more fun than Michael Jackson’s. In the movie Julia, Naked (a sweet little movie with a very misleading name) Ethan Hawke does a cover of Waterloo Sunset that is tons better than the Kink’s original or any of the other covers I’ve heard. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628/34 "2019-07-26T01:09:47Z")
Funny thing; five hours ago I told my summer school class “When I’m king, it’ll be illegal to do a cover of a song unless it’s 1) Different… and 2) Better.” This thread is proof it can be done. > [@Enginerd](#): > > Green and Lyle Lovett recorded a fantastic version of Willie Nelson’s [Funny How Time Slips Away](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY7jt9aBnSc), too. That was from an album [pairing R&B and Country artists](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhythm,_Country_and_Blues). Every song’s amazing… like “Rainy Night in Georgia” done by Sam Moore and Conway Twitty, or “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing” with Vince Gill’s crystal-clear tenor paired with Gladys Knight. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628/35 "2019-07-26T02:11:46Z")
Martha and the Vandellas’ version of, “Heat Wave,” is great, but Linda Ronstadt knocks it out of the park and into orbit. She actually makes me want to dance and NOBODY needs to see that. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628/36 "2019-07-26T02:38:09Z")
Elvis’s covers of [Blue Suede Shoes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeXnFx7aPOE), originally by [Carl Perkins](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1gggXjEobY), and [Hound Dog,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eHJ12Vhpyc) by [Big Mama Thornton,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frsBq9MCNVg) are certainly the best known versions, though I’m not sure they’re “better.” ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628/37 "2019-07-26T02:39:31Z")
The Cowboy Junkie’s version of ‘Sweet Jane’ is better than the Velvet Underground’s version. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628/38 "2019-07-26T02:48:16Z")
Kathy Mattea and Suzy Bogguss do a much better version of [“Teach Your Children”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLX2jjg4kWs) than CSNY did. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628/39 "2019-07-26T02:49:55Z")
> [@Zyada](#): > > Lenny Kravitz’ [American Woman](https://youtu.be/UzWHE32IxUc). Took a mediocre muddy rock song, and cleaned and shined it into a great song. Not gonna read the rest of the thread before I respond to this, but abso-fucking-lutely not. That is an awful, awful cover. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628/40 "2019-07-26T02:55:36Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Not gonna read the rest of the thread before I respond to this, but abso-fucking-lutely not. That is an awful, awful cover. I agree 100%. The Guess Who’s version is great; Lenny Kravitz’ is mediocre at best. The best remake ever: Grand Funk’s “The Loco-Motion.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-versions-of-songs-that-are-much-better/837628.md?page=3)