# Covers where they didn't change the gender. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 5, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650 "2011-08-05T23:02:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [August 5, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650/1 "2011-08-05T23:02:46Z")
What I mean are songs originally song by a person of one gender with lots of gender specific pronouns that were redone by a person of the other gender without changing the 'she’s to 'he’s and vice versa. I’m not explaining this well, am I? [Here’s Me’Shell Ndegeocello (hope I spelled that right) doing Who Is He And What Is He To You](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0ov9082a1c) as an example. Links to youtubes always appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650/2 "2011-08-05T23:08:14Z")
Not exactly a pronoun, but I head a cover of Leonard Cohen’s **Chelsea Hotel** a few days ago by a female artist that kept the line “giving me head, on the unmade bed…”. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650/3 "2011-08-05T23:22:50Z")
Joan Jett singing _Crimson and Clover_? ---
**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:** [August 5, 2011, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650/4 "2011-08-05T23:28:31Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > Joan Jett singing _Crimson and Clover_? Great example! https://www.youtube.com/embed/hdhonK8NMm8?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650/5 "2011-08-05T23:39:52Z")
Of course, there’s no internal reason “Crimson & Clover” couldn’t be from a woman to a woman. Rendered by Joan Jett, there’s no external reason either. On the other hand, even without pronouns, Joan Baez is explicitly singing a male character in “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” It always seemed odd. ---
**Author:** ![DxZero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DxZero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DxZero)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650/6 "2011-08-05T23:40:43Z")
White Stripes cover of [Jolene](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULVROplV07g) maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650/7 "2011-08-05T23:41:42Z")
The White Stripes’ cover of Dolly Parton’s Jolene, and I love it for it. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4rYaLBUpLA) ---
**Author:** ![DxZero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DxZero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DxZero)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650/8 "2011-08-05T23:42:20Z")
> [@Hades](#): > > The White Stripes’ cover of Dolly Parton’s Jolene, and I love it for it. > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4rYaLBUpLA&ob=av2n](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4rYaLBUpLA&ob=av2n) Hehehe…beatcha to it ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650/9 "2011-08-05T23:44:38Z")
Yeah, but my link beats your link. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650/10 "2011-08-06T00:31:17Z")
[Lyle Lovett singing Tammy Wynette’s _Stand By Your Man_.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXHvJDv9GM0) ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650/11 "2011-08-06T00:38:27Z")
When Relient K covered “Manic Monday”, they didn’t change the “Kissin’ Valentino by a crystal blue Italian stream” line. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650/12 "2011-08-06T00:42:44Z")
Sleater Kinney’s ridiculous cover of CCR’s Fortunate Son. ---
**Author:** ![Claire\_Beauchamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@Claire\_Beauchamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claire_Beauchamp)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650/13 "2011-08-06T00:45:55Z")
Melissa Etheridge singing _Maggie May_. Of course, it makes sense for her. John Prine singing _Angel from Montgomery_. Of course, that’s not a cover, he wrote the song in the female voice. Oh, and there’s that quasi-Indigo Girls recording of the _Jesus Christ Superstar_ soundtrack where Amy Ray sings the part of Jesus. ---
**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:** [August 6, 2011, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650/14 "2011-08-06T00:48:37Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > [Lyle Lovett singing Tammy Wynette’s _Stand By Your Man_.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXHvJDv9GM0) Wonder if he did that before or after his divorce from Julia Roberts. ---
**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:** [August 6, 2011, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650/15 "2011-08-06T00:55:02Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Wonder if he did that before or after his divorce from Julia Roberts. Before. ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650/16 "2011-08-06T02:04:39Z")
Lizzie West covering Leonard Cohen’s [_I’m Your Man_](http://new.music.yahoo.com/lizzie-west/tracks/im-your-man--2039188) ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650/17 "2011-08-06T02:41:05Z")
Joan Osborne’s cover of [Spooky](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhZAG7uVjmE). ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650/18 "2011-08-06T03:21:09Z")
Kaki King’s cover of “[I Think She Knows](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQdo_UrnO9w)” Anya Marina’s cover of “[Whatever You Like](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KYrml5IC48)” (due to not changing lyrics it’s really weird at the end…) ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650/19 "2011-08-06T04:43:27Z")
Linda Eder does the most amazing version of “Man of La Mancha” I’ve ever heard. [Prepare to be blown away](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWP7l0OTXJI). ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650/20 "2011-08-06T07:20:05Z")
Nothing compares 2 U/Sinead O’Conner. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/covers-where-they-didnt-change-the-gender/591650.md?page=2)