# Favorite Cover Songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 5, 2018, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214 "2018-02-05T14:12:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214/41 "2018-02-06T01:12:56Z")
> [@Egnu\_Cledge](#): > > The Cowboy Junkies doing VU’s [Sweet Jane](https://youtu.be/x4XVJj4jER4). The same album has the saddest version of Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” ever. Considering the song, I guess saddest means best. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214/42 "2018-02-06T01:28:14Z")
[All Along the Watchtower](https://youtu.be/xV_zXdvK_0g)–Michael Hedges [Oh Well](https://youtu.be/H34Uc9JWECQ) – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214/43 "2018-02-06T01:50:25Z")
[Dinosaur Jr - Show Me The Way](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as6pXqWYE4U) (Peter Frampton) [Phantom Tollbooth - Barracuda](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yvlb8ogUoc) (Heart) [Buddy Guy - Baby Please Don’t Leave Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6tdlmx_GO4) (Junior Kimbrough) [Zeke - Shout It Out Loud](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vhkyifP-_w) (KISS) [The Bad Plus - Tom Sawyer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gGR-lbiFQk) (Rush) [Bongwater - Dazed and Chinese](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vincS_wW0xM) (Led Zeppelin) [Butthole Surfers - American Woman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLveU2E-NkE) (The Guess Who) [DJ Leibowitz - Holiday In Cambodia](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qx6RX7ek70) (Dead Kennedys) [Devo - Secret Agent Man](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94fZi7_6wRE) (Johnny Rivers) [Wilson - Sleep Now In The Fire](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEZgFdjV7ww) (Rage Against The Machine) [Rage Against The Machine - Maggie’s Farm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmceSj07_fs) (Bob Dylan) [The Residents - It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV9CbKFmiKY) (James Brown) I’ll stop here, before I wear the hamsters out with a list of _Louie, Louie_ covers; I think I have about 150 of them now. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214/44 "2018-02-06T02:03:50Z")
Aerosmiths cover of The Beatles ‘Come Together’ ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214/45 "2018-02-06T02:21:39Z")
Arlo does Elvis (Can’t help falling in love with you) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sSF89swJ9IU/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AG-AoAC8AGKAgwIABABGEwgQihyMA8=&rs=AOn4CLBrOYFd9dJJH_0kQH5ZRBG7BYqzow "Arlo Guthrie/I Can't Help Falling In Love With You") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSF89swJ9IU) ---
**Author:** ![Graymalkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@Graymalkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Graymalkin)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214/46 "2018-02-06T02:22:25Z")
Stones’ Ya Ya Carol (C. Berry). ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214/47 "2018-02-06T02:38:33Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I like Joe Cocker’s “With a little help from my friends” better than the Beatles. Yeah, and this is THE VERY BEST version of that cover. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/T4_MsrsKzMM/hqdefault.jpg "Birthday Greetings from Joe Cocker") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4_MsrsKzMM) ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214/48 "2018-02-06T02:46:04Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > This version of [Little Wing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYDNcfFn-gw) by The Corrs is one of over 30 covers of [this original](https://vimeo.com/166581864) by… Jimmy Hendrix. 😃 The Stevie Ray Vaughn cover of that song is my favorite. It rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Egnu\_Cledge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@Egnu\_Cledge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Egnu_Cledge)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214/49 "2018-02-06T02:47:54Z")
Eugenius covering Beat Happening’s [Indian Summer](https://youtu.be/fmzQQzZA_q0) Nick Cave covering Lefty Frizzell’s [Long Black Veil](https://youtu.be/huUEmEcBAMY) Smashing Pumpkins ripping through The Animal’s [Girl Named Sandoz](https://youtu.be/xMo9PPR9yX4) The DelByzanteens doing [Sally Go Round the Roses](https://youtu.be/qmelmWd4hIw) by the Jaynetts The Dum Dum Girls covering the Smith’s [There Is a Light That Never Goes Out](https://youtu.be/OrgKtFVKTmI) Morrissey doing The New York Doll’s [Human Being](https://youtu.be/5RpQsfJ3j3w) (can’t find the album version), and Magazine’s [Song From Under the Floorboards](https://youtu.be/zTr6DpZS1XA) The Feelies covering The Velvet Underground’s [What Goes On](https://youtu.be/_59XEJxqq5c) Pixies covering The Jesus and Mary Chain’s [Head On](https://youtu.be/7F5TZ7z7tJs) Robert Smith does [Pirate Ships](https://youtu.be/SXWwvpeTWxw) by Wendy Waldman This Mortal Coil (Cocteau Twins) doing [Song to the Siren](https://youtu.be/4mUmdR69nbM) ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214/50 "2018-02-06T03:09:52Z")
The Ataris’ [Boys of Summer](https://vimeo.com/27669666) crushes Don Henley’s original like a grape. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214/51 "2018-02-06T04:11:49Z")
Not one of my favourites, but definitely a curiosity when there’s an affinity between The Monkees and 80’s metal bands. Here “(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone” gets the workover from both [Intruder](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uhOwK-FDL4) _and_ [Aragon.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgYNE1VSrEs) Go figure. Posted this a couple months ago somewhere - Electric Love Muffin doing [Norwegian Wood.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHHA-auJOWA) ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214/52 "2018-02-06T04:42:18Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Most people didn’t know that half the British Invasion hits were covers of American r&b and that half the American hits were covers of folk songs and some vice versa. None of those songs penetrated the mainstream radio stations that were the only way most teens ever heard rock. > > Some favorites. > > “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” by Manfred Mann covering The Exciters > “Tobacco Road” by Nashville Teens covering J. J. Loudermilk > “Go Now!” by Moody Blues covering Bessie Smith I did not know “Go Now” was a cover. But it looks like it was sung by [Bessie Banks](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=prlWGe2EHro), one-time wife of the composer, Larry Banks. ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214/53 "2018-02-06T05:12:56Z")
I prefer Lotte Lenya’s 1955 version of [Die Moritat von Mackie Messer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7eO7MKEZAY) (Mack the Knife) to the Kurt Gerron 1938 version from [The Threepenny Opera](https://youtu.be/AWPvx1KPA9Y?t=42). Pet Shop Boys “Go West” over The Village People version. Lots more I can’t think of at the moment. Grrrr. ---
**Author:** ![Egnu\_Cledge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@Egnu\_Cledge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Egnu_Cledge)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214/54 "2018-02-06T15:36:53Z")
Galaxie 500’s majestic takes of Jonathan Richman’s [Don’t Let Our Youth Go To Waste](https://youtu.be/vxdka_2dU7Y), and Yoko Ono’s [Listen, the Snow Is Falling](https://youtu.be/qzvtFW1T6pk) This super-fun cover of EMF’s [Unbelievable](https://youtu.be/7fTBpEHgg48) by Grass Widow Similarly, Shannon and the Clams’ garage rock version of Snap’s [I’ve Got the Power](https://youtu.be/9HLkwLu2xuo?t=1m47s) Maybe not technically a cover, but Nico’s gorgeous rendition of Jackson Brown’s [These Days](https://youtu.be/0_z_UEuEMAo) Cat Power doing [Sea of Love](https://youtu.be/CbMeAOTPJzM) The Bobbyteens version of the Rubber City Rebels’ [Young and Dumb](https://youtu.be/JCpkya-WKqg) and Joan Jet’s [Do You Wanna Touch](https://youtu.be/059RkEkZLf0) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214/55 "2018-02-06T15:49:56Z")
Linda Ronstadt’s version of _Heat Wave_ got me interested in her music. I’ve listened to nearly everything Linda has recorded since. She was the hottest rocker chick that I ever saw. Smoking hot. Martha and the Vandellas originally recorded it. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214/56 "2018-02-06T15:55:49Z")
Martha and the Vandellas originally recorded _Heat Wave_. But they never brought the sexual tension that Linda had. Not even close. Their version was much too tame ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214/57 "2018-02-06T16:23:26Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > The Ataris’ [Boys of Summer](https://vimeo.com/27669666) crushes Don Henley’s original like a grape. I could barely tell the difference, myself, other than a couple of little details like a Black Flag rather than a Deadhead sticker on the Cadillac. You know how very often, a band’s live performance of one of their songs will have more energy than the studio version? It was like that. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214/58 "2018-02-06T16:41:08Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > I did not know “Go Now” was a cover. But it looks like it was sung by [Bessie Banks](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=prlWGe2EHro), one-time wife of the composer, Larry Banks. Sorry for the mistake. My source was the music magazine Goldmine, and usually music magazines are solid sources. ---
**Author:** ![Bic\_D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bic\_D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bic_D)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214/59 "2018-02-06T17:00:36Z")
Me and Bobby McGee covered by Janis Joplin versus anyone who wrote it or tried to sing it. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214/60 "2018-02-06T18:02:10Z")
[Georgia Lee Brown](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opsoFPewMFY) – The Cramps [I Got You Babe](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C0TRmcZYLQ) – Chrissy Hynde & UB40 (Sorry folks, this one just does it for me) [Hard Rain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4sMSSm0x2A) – Leon Russell And… [Help!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itpRFQnpMEQ) – The Damned, because what they did to that song was just so…necessary. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cover-songs/808214.md?page=4)