I’ve always wanted to hear a female cover of the Frightened Rabbits song “My Backwards Walk.” It’s really perfect for either gender, as the topic is trying unsuccessfully to pull yourself out of a bad relationship.
“Under my thumb…the squirming dog who’s just had his day,
Under my thumb…a guy who has just changed his ways
It’s down to me, yes it is, the way he does just what he’s told,
Down to me, the change has come
He’s under my thumb!”
Not only doing the same thing, she’s the one who placed the ad in the paper in the first place.
Stone Temple Pilots’ “Sex-Type Thing”. When that song came out, there was some controversy, and the band was like, “No, no, no, it’s ironic. It’s a parody! We don’t advocate rape, we just sing about it.”
Which is fine and all, but, dude…listen to it. Sung by a man with aggressive music behind him, you can totally imagine some troglodyte singing along while he assaults the poor girl passed out in his bed, the “irony” lost on him.
So I’ve always thought it should be covered by a woman.
That’s kind of the impression it gives me in the original.
I don’t see how a woman singing it would make it worse.
Covered by Sarah Bettens here.
Kim Carnes (of all people) actually did a gender-switched cover of that song about 30 years ago (maybe someone can find it on YouTube). I can think of a number of other female vocalists who could do a version of “Under My Thumb” that wou both sexy and convincingly carry off a “don’t fuck with me” vibe. For example, I’ve always thought Shirley Manson could do a killer version this and so could Tina Turner about 20-25 years ago. Off-hand, however, I can’t think of any newer female artists who could do this. (Certainly not Britney Spears or Katy Peary.) Anybody have any suggestions?
Recently, I heard Marlena Shaw’s gender switched cover of “Go Away Little Girl [Boy]”. Instead of a vaguely creepy pedophilish ballad about a man trying to dissuade an underage girl from starting a relationship from him, it turned into an adult woman’s somewhat cutting dismissal of an emotionally immature male.
I much prefer it from a female perspective. My favorite version is from Smokestack Betty (I believe). Her voice for me fits the image of the woman in the song. Unfortunately, I didn’t find that version online.
Some playfully androgynous guy should record “Do It Again”. Not the Steely Dan song about going back Jack do it again. The one about how I might say “no no no” but do it again.
I went to a gay wedding where one of the grooms sang The Last Man in my Life
I am trembling when you kiss me.
I’m so sad when you are leaving.
I’m estatic every time our bodies meet, complete
If I had the wherewithall, I’d do a gay version of “Song & Dance,” the show this song is from.
I guess I was sort of wrong- covered by a woman, it sounds a little more clingy and less stalkerish. I wonder why I react that way?
Joan Jett’s version of “I Love Rock 'n Roll” is clearly written to be sung by a man. She just changed a few pronouns.
There is at least one cover of The Pina Colada Song, sung by a woman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-48__jIaSA8
Tori Amos did a whole album of covers that were originally sung by men. As a super big fan, the album was… different. Very hit or miss.
New Age (Velvet Underground)
'97 Bonnie and Clyde (Eminem)
Strange Little Girl (The Stranglers)
Enjoy the Silence (Depeche Mode)
I’m Not in Love (10cc)
Rattlesnakes (Llyod Cole)
Time (Tom Waits)
Heart of Gold (Neil Young)
I Don’t Like Mondays (The Boomtown Rats)
Happiness is a Warm Gun (The Beatles)
Raining Blood (Slayer)
Real Men (Joe Jackson)
& two b-sides
After All (David Bowie)
Only Women Bleed (Alice Cooper)