# covers that are better than the originals **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 27, 2003, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325 "2003-07-27T22:54:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325/41 "2003-07-28T14:01:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AndrewT \* > \*\*CCR’s cover of “I Heard it on the Grapevine” is superb, way better than the anaemic original. > \*\* Better than Marvin Gaye :rolleyes: (and it’s I Heard it THROUGH the Grapevine) What about MXPX’s version of “Take On Me,” or Goldfinger’s 99 Luftballoons ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325/42 "2003-07-28T14:01:38Z")
**Jane’s Addiction** cover of The Rolling Stones’ **Sympathy for the Devil**. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325/43 "2003-07-28T14:39:48Z")
Luna do a cracking version of _Sweet Child O’Mine_. It really does work as a laid-back song. ---
**Author:** ![shimmery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@shimmery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shimmery)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325/44 "2003-07-28T15:13:44Z")
CSNY’s cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock”. Sorry, Joni, but this song was clearly meant to rock out. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325/45 "2003-07-28T15:45:48Z")
I like Limp Bizkit’s rendition of George Michael’s “Faith.” I hated the original song so much, so I was glad to see someone bastardize it. I must say I like Aerosmith’s version of “Come Together” more than the Beatles’ version, though the Beatle’s version is good, too. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325/46 "2003-07-28T15:59:38Z")
I like Cocker’s “with a little help from my friends” and “She came In Though the Bathroom Window” better than the Beatles. And I LOVE the Beatles. Dude’s awesome. ---
**Author:** ![TripleAnt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19adc/32.png) [@TripleAnt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TripleAnt)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325/47 "2003-07-28T16:09:25Z")
How about the Flaming Lips doing Kylie’s “Can’t Get You Outta My Head”. Good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325/48 "2003-07-28T18:31:50Z")
Cathy Dennis did a fab cover of ‘Waterloo Sunset’. Rainbow covered a Clout (South African Girl Band From The Seventies Whose Only hit Was 'Substitute [not The Who’s song…] Which Hit No. 1 In Britain)… Bob Marley - I Shot The Sherriff ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325/49 "2003-07-28T18:33:39Z")
The Rainbow song was ‘Since You’ve Been Gone’… ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325/50 "2003-07-28T18:36:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Bob Marley - I Shot The Sherriff :eek: This is HIS song. _Clapton_’s was the cover. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![nitroglycerine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nitroglycerine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitroglycerine)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325/51 "2003-07-28T19:01:08Z")
Right now, I’m listening to Antiseen doing a version of “Six Days On The Road” Its pretty cool. Jon ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325/52 "2003-07-28T19:07:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Marley23 \* > \*\*:eek: This is HIS song. _Clapton_’s was the cover. :mad: \*\* :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:… I’ve just done a ‘Konspiration’… Terry Jacks - Seasons In The Sun… not strictly a cover but a reworking of Jacques Brel’s ‘Le Moribond’ ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325/53 "2003-07-28T19:15:01Z")
Ministry’s cover of “Lay Lady Lay” from Dylan kicks major butt. ---
**Author:** ![Dragon\_Phoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Dragon\_Phoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragon_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325/54 "2003-07-28T19:34:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mascaroni \* > \*\*Terry Jacks - Seasons In The Sun… not strictly a cover but a reworking of Jacques Brel’s ‘Le Moribond’ \*\* It was still a cover - The Fortunes did it first (and much better). ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Sexchange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@Dr.Sexchange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Sexchange)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325/55 "2003-07-28T19:51:57Z")
Mudhoney’s version of the Dick’s **“Hate the Police”** is, in my book, one of the best covers ever and even one of the greatest songs…EVER! The Melvin’s version of **“Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World”** is pretty bizarre and sludgy, classic Melvins. Blah ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325/56 "2003-07-28T20:16:35Z")
I don’t think it’s necessarily better, but the Chili Peppers did a fine cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” ---
**Author:** ![Zenham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a5b964/32.png) [@Zenham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenham)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325/57 "2003-07-28T21:06:27Z")
Tori Amos’s cover of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. Completely different vibe, and pretty amazing. R.E.M.'s “Superman” is a cover, though the original is impossible to find. The band has a copy, I know (they recoreded it after finding the original in a second-hand record store), and it’s hard to imagine the original being better than their version. ---
**Author:** ![nitroglycerine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nitroglycerine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitroglycerine)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325/58 "2003-07-28T21:41:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dr. Sexchange \* > \*\*Mudhoney’s version of the Dick’s **“Hate the Police”** is, in my book, one of the best covers ever and even one of the greatest songs…EVER! > > The Melvin’s version of **“Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World”** is pretty bizarre and sludgy, classic Melvins. > > Blah \*\* That IS a great cover. Their cover of Roxy Music’s “Editions Of You” kicks some major ass too. Jon ---
**Author:** ![nitroglycerine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nitroglycerine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitroglycerine)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325/59 "2003-07-28T21:45:09Z")
I like the Dictators version of Velvet Underground’s “What Goes On” better than the original, and speaking of VU covers, Christian Death (Rozz’s 90s version) does a pretty good cover of “Venus In Furs”. Jon ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325/60 "2003-07-28T22:53:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenham \* > \*\*R.E.M.'s “Superman” is a cover, though the original is impossible to find. The band has a copy, I know (they recoreded it after finding the original in a second-hand record store), and it’s hard to imagine the original being better than their version. \*\* I actually have that original on a very-scratched-up old 45. (The band was The Clique.) And I can confirm that the R.E.M. cover kick’s the original’s ass black-and-blue. I don’t know if The Clique was a British band, but if not, they were definitely trying to get that British Invasion sound, and the result was sort of a wimpy Herman’s-Hermits-esque delivery. Mike Mills destroys them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-are-better-than-the-originals/191325.md?page=4)