# Covers that made a song happier or more upbeat **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 18, 2006, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-made-a-song-happier-or-more-upbeat/357311 "2006-05-18T20:23:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-made-a-song-happier-or-more-upbeat/357311/41 "2006-05-20T02:44:17Z")
It’d be a huge stretch to call it a true cover, since pretty much every word is different, but Tom Schilling’s ‘Major Tom’ is an upbeat techno retelling oF Bowie’s slow ‘Space Oddity’ ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-made-a-song-happier-or-more-upbeat/357311/42 "2006-05-20T03:37:43Z")
[QUOTE=M. Meursault] Blind Melon had a very cheery cover of the Velvet Underground’s “Candy Says.” If you wanted to, you could actually dance to the Blind Melon version. There are also a couple of Richard Cheese covers that turn bleak/sad/stupid songs into something you want to swing to: “Down with the Sickness,” “Creep,” or “Loser” (by some stupid screaming band, Radiohead, and Beck, respectively). [/QUOTE] Heh, I would have to say that “Creep” becomes somewhat more bitter and ironic when sung in Richard Cheese’s friendly lounge style. It amuses me how much his cover of the song strikes a chord with me while the original version doesn’t do anything for me. One of three songs on his “Best of” album that I sing along to in the car (“Bust a Move” and “Down With The Sickness” are the other two) A lot of the songs covered by Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine (his band) tend to be rather dark songs done in a more cheerful sounding way. Then again, there is always his swanky easygoing cover of “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mixalot. Back to the OT, I think Cheese’s cover of “Rape Me” fits the bill as being a cheerful cover of a rather dark song. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still dark, only now it’s cheerful and dark. if that makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-made-a-song-happier-or-more-upbeat/357311/43 "2006-05-20T04:33:15Z")
[QUOTE=robardin] You’re quite likely right… Though apparently Bananarama also did a cover, as it is listed [on their Greatest Hits compilation](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000273M/002-9051341-7751220?v=glance&n=5174), so I’m not 100% sure which 80s-girl-band cover version I am hearing in my head. Double brrr!!! [/QUOTE] You’re linking to the Bangles Greatest Hits. ---
**Author:** ![DxZero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DxZero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DxZero)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-made-a-song-happier-or-more-upbeat/357311/44 "2006-05-20T04:43:09Z")
[QUOTE=ronincyberpunk] Johnny Cash covered Nine Inch Nails, the name of the song escapes me but while it was still a depressing song. I can at least listen to his cover around my mom without her thinking I’m a satan worshipper 😉 [/QUOTE] - Hurt\* ---
**Author:** ![DxZero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DxZero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DxZero)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-made-a-song-happier-or-more-upbeat/357311/45 "2006-05-20T04:44:33Z")
[QUOTE=Tengu] The only NIN song Cash covered AFAIK is Hurt. But ‘happy’ and ‘upbeat’ aren’t exactly how I’d describe it. [/QUOTE] Or I can try reading the entire thread before posting something someone already said. And no, it sure ain’t upbeat. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-that-made-a-song-happier-or-more-upbeat/357311.md?page=2)