# Covers better than the original **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 20, 2014, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781 "2014-12-20T23:58:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [December 20, 2014, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781/1 "2014-12-20T23:58:47Z")
The song itself lives as it’s one entity. There are many ways the song can be realized, and sometimes the original is not the best and a cover brings the song to a new level: [Orleya - Baby I Love Your Way](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvYk-EC4wZ4) [Breakout - Eves St. Jones](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEUdalv12nU) [Nothing Compare 2 U - Sinead O’conner](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUiTQvT0W_0) [Wonderwall - Ryan Adams](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzZhtrsbJzs) [Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain - Sally Timms](https://soundcloud.com/bshq/blue-eyes-crying-in-the-rain) Please post your favourite covers! ---
**Author:** ![Hermione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cdc98d/32.png) [@Hermione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermione)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781/2 "2014-12-21T00:03:13Z")
I vastly prefer the Beatles’ “Twist and Shout” to the Isley Brothers’. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781/3 "2014-12-21T00:15:54Z")
[_Hurt_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aF9AJm0RFc), Johnny Cash [_Hazy Shade Of Winter_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cNeXWpTVlo), The Bangles ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781/4 "2014-12-21T00:41:37Z")
Much as I love CCR, Tina Turner DEFINED Proud Mary. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781/5 "2014-12-21T00:43:11Z")
_With a Little Help from My Friends_ – Joe Cocker No Springsteen or Dylan song as performed by Manfred Mann’s band. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781/6 "2014-12-21T00:47:52Z")
Clearly the correct answer is _All Along the Watchtower_ by JH ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781/7 "2014-12-21T00:51:13Z")
As I’ve said many times, Al Green’s cover of the Bee Gee’s [“How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO6Rknx5xyI) blows away the original. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781/8 "2014-12-21T04:48:03Z")
Billie David, Angel of the Morning Is this a cover? Or just another version? Whatever. In every other version of this famous and popular song, my guess is that the artist is a married woman who’s had an adulterous affair (“if morning says we’ve sinned”), or a separated woman who’s had an adulterous affair with a married man. Not Billie David. She’s a teen-ager who’s had her first experience, but thinks she’s old enough to handle the emotions (“I’m old enough to face the dawn”) It’s a different picture. Also, Wikipedia describes her as “astonishingly photogenic”, which doesn’t hurt. And which matches the idea that a more experience man would be exploiting her character. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781/9 "2014-12-21T05:08:18Z")
[Ray Lamontagne - “Crazy”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mEfDSP4g_U) [Antony & The Johnsons - “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNpCx_TDO24) ---
**Author:** ![mind\_the\_gap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@mind\_the\_gap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mind_the_gap)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781/10 "2014-12-21T05:12:51Z")
Capitol Children’s Choir “Sweet Child of Mine” Always hated Axl Rose and Guns 'n Roses, but heard CCC do Sweet Child…wow. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781/11 "2014-12-21T06:07:34Z")
[David Anthony does Level 42.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcUd55EoLlU) Google for the nicely produced version if you like. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781/12 "2014-12-21T06:29:58Z")
[Elton John’s version of Pinball Wizard](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK33CY68s1w) is far superior to The Who’s original. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781/13 "2014-12-21T06:45:21Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > Clearly the correct answer is _All Along the Watchtower_ by JH Second only to Janis Joplin’s cover of \* Me & Bobby McGee\*. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781/14 "2014-12-21T06:56:46Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Second only to Janis Joplin’s cover of \* Me & Bobby McGee\*. I want you to know that I forgive you. I hope one day you can find the peace I have. ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781/15 "2014-12-21T06:58:41Z")
Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen) by Jeff Buckley Suzanne (Leonard Cohen) by Peter Gabriel Blinded by the light (Bruce Springsteen) by MMEB This masquerade (Leon Russel) by Carpenters After the goldrush (Neil Young) by kd lang ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781/16 "2014-12-21T07:51:29Z")
I think these songs sound much better being sung by a woman. [Sixpence None The Richer - There She Goes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMfXeuv4kZE) [No Doubt - It’s My Life](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubvV498pyIM) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781/17 "2014-12-21T12:31:35Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > [Sixpence None The Richer - There She Goes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMfXeuv4kZE) Must aggressively disagree. She is a lightweight girl singer who makes this a lightweight lovey-dovey song. The La’s version makes the song transcendent because somehow I can hear a level of longing in Lee Mavers’ voice that gives the song an extra layer. Hearing later that he struggled with heroin and that the song is, intentionally or no, a love song to the drug more than a Love Song™ and it deepens again… Oh, and by the way, the best cover is **Respect** , where Aretha covered Otis Redding. He was the first to admit, he took the song away from her. **Marvin Gaye’s** version of **Grapevine** is often called a cover, but it is a discussion because I believe the writers asked him to do it first, but Gladys Knight’s version came out sooner… I agree with Jimi singing Dylan. I would say that **Social Distortion** ’s cover of **Ring of Fire** isn’t _better_ than Johnny Cash’s - he’s Johnny Cash fercrissake - but their punk reworking totally kills. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781/18 "2014-12-21T12:53:32Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > I want you to know that I forgive you. > I hope one day you can find the peace I have. Cool couplet but where does it come from? ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781/19 "2014-12-21T13:26:45Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Cool couplet but where does it come from? It’s a common enough sentiment. I can’t say where those exact words originated, I just spit them out. I’m sure someone has said them before, like I said it’s a common enough sentiment. ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781/20 "2014-12-21T13:27:12Z")
[One](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeS5sp7ecqk). Cowboy Junkies cover of U2 original. Also pretty much anything else they cover. [Say Something](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwbUT-hyZz8). Jackie Evancho & Cheyenne Jackson cover of Great Big World/Christina Aguilera song. Plus anything else Jackie covers, i.e U2’s “With Or Without You” on her new CD “Awakening” - no YT clips - removed for copyright infringement. [Mercy Street](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytyc72RiXE0). Happy Rhodes cover of Peter Gabriel original. Also [Here Comes The Flood](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXMatY-sCIc) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-better-than-the-original/707781.md?page=2)