# Covers that didn't change gender **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 1, 2016, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798 "2016-04-01T02:09:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798/1 "2016-04-01T02:09:50Z")
[I just discovered the very entertaining Bryan Ferry cover of “It’s My Party”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZbWCCWcQFs). One thing stuck out: although the Lesley Gore original is clearly written from a female perspective, Ferry refuses to change the gender of the song. What other songs do this? Is it just to stand out, or is it ever done to change the meaning of the song? ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798/2 "2016-04-01T02:19:19Z")
Joan Jett’s Crimson and Clover has her [singing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdhonK8NMm8) about a woman. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798/3 "2016-04-01T02:22:32Z")
Jack White’s “[Jolene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m5KrPXL4wI)”. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798/4 "2016-04-01T02:59:20Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Joan Jett’s Crimson and Clover has her [singing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdhonK8NMm8) about a woman. Same with [A.C.D.C.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpOgHzoO76c) ---
**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 1, 2016, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798/5 "2016-04-01T03:50:00Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > is it ever done to change the meaning of the song? Cam Clarke, a gay voice actor and singer, about a decade or so ago, released an album of love songs originally sung by women, without changing the gender of the subject of the song, because he wanted to sing them as gay love songs. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2016, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798/6 "2016-04-01T04:19:49Z")
[Me’Shell NdegeOcello’s Who Is He And What Is He To You.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0ov9082a1c) Love both versions of this song. Because I’m only just beginning to realize I’m an old fogey and younguns may not be familiar with the original, here’s [Bill Wither’s version.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u5UcarxQmc) ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798/7 "2016-04-01T07:35:16Z")
Does Joan Baez singing that Virgil Caine is her name count? How about Lyle Lovett singing “Stand By Your Man”? ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798/8 "2016-04-01T09:46:14Z")
**Linda Ronstadt** , in her Stone Poneys days, covered Michael Nesmith’s **Different Drum**. While she did adjust the gender, she left alone the line that indicates that the boy is ‘pretty’. ETA: And there is your earworm for the day. 🙂 mmm ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798/9 "2016-04-01T10:50:56Z")
The most puzzling cover of this type I can think of is Anya Marina’s cover of Ti’s “[Whatever You Like](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0BPnJUx_Yw)” because she doesn’t remove the lines towards the end that are clearly about Ti’s penis. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798/10 "2016-04-01T10:59:27Z")
An enormous amount of Spanish language covers and even originals. The writers of every Mecano song are two brothers; the singer, a woman. The singer is perceived as a narrator, they don’t need to match the gender of the character they’re singing. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798/11 "2016-04-01T12:38:12Z")
Ola Belle Reed, “Bonaparte’s Retreat”. It is a traditional folk song, so I don’t think I am breaking any rules posting all the lyrics: > [@](#): > > Met the girl that I love in a town way down in Dixie > Beneath the stars up above > She was the sweetest girl I ever did see > > So I held her in my arms and told her of her many charms > I kissed her while the fiddle played > The Bonaparte’s retreat > > All the world was bright as I held her on that night > And I heard her say > Please don’t ever go away > > So I held her in my arms and told her of her many charms > I kissed her while the fiddle played > The Bonaparte’s retreat > > Well I met that girl that I love in a town way down in Dixie > Beneath the stars up above > She was the sweetest girl I ever did see > > So I held her in my arms and told her of her many charms > I kissed her while the fiddle played > The Bonaparte’s retreat ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798/12 "2016-04-01T12:49:06Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > ETA: And there is your earworm for the day. 🙂 I always found The Pastels’ version to be the superior one. Then again, The Pastels pretty much can do no wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798/13 "2016-04-01T14:55:09Z")
When The Pogues covered the traditional “I’m a Man You Don’t Meet Everyday,” they had Cait O’Riordan do the vocals. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798/14 "2016-04-01T15:21:51Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > How about Lyle Lovett singing “Stand By Your Man”? I thought about that, but the song is not gender specific – it’s advice to a woman, but could be given by either a man or a woman. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798/15 "2016-04-01T16:09:57Z")
The amazingly great guitar player Michael Hedges liked to do some quirky covers and make them his own. His version of [Buffalo Stance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41l3UzA64sE) did not change the genders. Damn I miss him. I’m glad I got to see him live. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798/16 "2016-04-01T16:35:05Z")
Ed Sheeran’s cover of [Be My Husband.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nSO0lMzHM0&list=RD0nSO0lMzHM0#t=24) ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798/17 "2016-04-01T17:11:48Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > I always found The Pastels’ version to be the superior one. Then again, The Pastels pretty much can do no wrong. I prefer the acoustic by [Susannah Hoffs and Matthew Sweet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRO5ZZuJGYI). > [@installLSC](#): > > [I just discovered the very entertaining Bryan Ferry cover of “It’s My Party”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZbWCCWcQFs). One thing stuck out: although the Lesley Gore original is clearly written from a female perspective, Ferry refuses to change the gender of the song. What other songs do this? Is it just to stand out, or is it ever done to change the meaning of the song? The AV Club has bands come in and cover other bands. [The Promise Ring](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLo377CfnCo) does a fantastic cover of Adele’s “Rumour Has It” without changing gender. ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798/18 "2016-04-01T21:05:42Z")
I like to think that the artists are singing the song for the love of the song. Not related to switching genders, but I recently saw the “[Experience Hendrix](http://www.experiencehendrixtour.com/)” tour where a bunch of musicians performed old Hendrix songs. Near the end Buddy Guy came out and played a song (not Hendrix) with some rather odd lyrics, and he stopped singing for a second and said “Hey I’m just singin’ it, I didn’t write the fuckin’ thing” ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798/19 "2016-04-01T21:23:08Z")
Ringo Starr and The Beatles singing “Boys.” ---
**Author:** ![chancetx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@chancetx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chancetx)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798/20 "2016-04-01T21:38:09Z")
Alison Moyet covered “[Whispering Your Name](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LowFgeQxbhk)” by Jules Shear and didn’t change the pronouns, turning it into a lesbian love triangle. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-didnt-change-gender/750798.md?page=2)