# Most Unusual Song Covers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 17, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303 "2004-11-17T17:55:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303/41 "2004-11-18T05:58:57Z")
Tom Waits did a cover of “Heigh Ho” from Disney’s Snow White. It’s…extremely dark, without even changing the lyrics. By far the best song on a compilation album of Contemporary Singers Covering Disney Movie Songs. Couldn’t tell you the real title. Somewhere out there is a traditional-style Indian sitar cover of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man.” Again, I don’t know the name of the album. A friend and I did a major audio double-take at a little Indian restaurant in NY a couple of years ago. Our waiter when questioned told us it was Ravi Shankar, which is unlikely. The closest thing I’ve ever found is [this](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006BXGK/104-7923501-3139169?v=glance), and I don’t think that’s it. Check out a couple of the samples, though! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303/42 "2004-11-18T06:12:50Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > Tom Waits did a cover of “Heigh Ho” from Disney’s Snow White. It’s…extremely dark, without even changing the lyrics. By far the best song on a compilation album of Contemporary Singers Covering Disney Movie Songs. Couldn’t tell you the real title. Wow! I found this online… holy crap. ---
**Author:** ![Manatee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@Manatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manatee)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303/43 "2004-11-18T06:47:17Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > Tom Waits did a cover of “Heigh Ho” from Disney’s Snow White. It’s…extremely dark, without even changing the lyrics. By far the best song on a compilation album of Contemporary Singers Covering Disney Movie Songs. Couldn’t tell you the real title. That’d be “Stay Awake.” Another good one off a similar album is LL Cool J doing “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?” The last time a thread like this came up, I tossed in the Who’s cover of the “Batman” TV series theme. “Na na na na na na na na, na na na na na na na na, Batman!” ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303/44 "2004-11-18T06:52:40Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > Somewhere out there is a traditional-style Indian sitar cover of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man.” Again, I don’t know the name of the album. A friend and I did a major audio double-take at a little Indian restaurant in NY a couple of years ago. This reminds me – the Cardigans (one-hit wonder in the US with “Lovefool”) have a cover of this song as well. Odd. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303/45 "2004-11-18T11:14:30Z")
**Mr. Blue Sky** and **Rico** : I have Big Daddy’s _Cuttin’ Their Own Groove_, but when I was in college, a friend of mine made a tape copy of one of their earlier albums for me. I lost the tape at some point and I’d like to hear it again. Do either of you know where I can find some earlier Big Daddy recordings? **edwino** , another good cover of _Ring of Fire_? The Bobs and Social Distortion both do excellent covers of that song, finding another one would be very cool. Two more to add: The Flying Lizards cover of James Brown’s _Sex Machine_ The Reverend Horton Heat did a cover of the _Jonny Quest Theme_, and he turned it into 1:41 of scorched-earth guitar brilliance. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303/46 "2004-11-18T13:04:22Z")
**The Benzedrine Monks** covered _(Smells Like) Teen Spirit_ and _Do You Think I’m Sexy?_ a few years ago - done Gregorian Chant style! And I remember years ago there was the **Temple City Kazoo Orchestra** who covered _Whole Lotta Love_ and the _Theme From 2001_, iirc. ---
**Author:** ![melondeca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@melondeca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melondeca)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303/47 "2004-11-18T16:50:35Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Well, when I saw Faith No More in concert about 14 years ago, they closed their set with a cover of the Commodores’ “I’m Easy.” > > The crowd kept thinking it was a joke… only AFTER they left the stage did we all realize, “that wasn’t a joke- they really just did a faithful cover of a Lionel Freaking Richie song!” That is one of my favorite covers of all times. They released it on a four song cd called _Songs To Make Love By_. Faith No More doing a Commodores song and polka on the same album is something everyone should own. 😃 Another one of my favorite unusual cover songs would have to be _These Boots Were Made For Walking_ as covered by Megadeth. I was in awe the first time I heard it because although I liked the original, Megadeth added that special something that only they can do. Dammit, while I was typing I started thinking of all kinds of great covers so I am just going to list a couple or I will be here all day: 1. Castles Made of Sand/Little Wing- Tuck & Patti 2. At Last- Stevie Nicks 3. Summer Breeze- Type O Negative 4. Something Happened on the Way to Heaven- Deborah Cox 5. Gloomy Sunday- Heather Nova 6. 32 Flavors- Alana Davis 7. Can’t Find My Way Home- Alana Davis 8. Misty Mountain Hop- 4 Non Blondes 9. Norwegian Wood- Bela Fleck and the Flecktones 10. All Along the Watchtower- Uli Jon Roth Ok, I am done now ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303/48 "2004-11-18T17:08:49Z")
What?? You guys never heard of [Dokaka](http://www.soundclick.com/bands/4/dokakamusic.htm)? ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303/49 "2004-11-18T17:22:46Z")
Bauhaus did a dark, sarcastic version of Norman Greenbaum’s ‘Spirit in the Sky’ which is either disturbing, or hilarious, depending. The Pogues did a spanish language version of ‘Secret Agent Man’ called ‘Hombre Secreto’ which is also very funny. I think you can find it on the ‘Repo Man’ soundtrack. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303/50 "2004-11-18T17:28:24Z")
If “WHY GOD WHY?” covers count as “unusual”, I’ll throw in “Satisfaction” and “I Love Rock and Roll” as covered by Britney Spears. WHY? :eek: David Bowie’s cover of The Who’s “Pictures of Lily” can only be justified as an exercise in self-parody, so I really, really hope that’s what he was going for. It’s about twice as long as the original thanks to being played _verrrrrrry slooooooowly_, and the vocals sound more like the work of a cheesy David Bowie impersonator than the man himself. Aside from their cover of the “Batman” theme already mentioned, the early Who also covered Edvard Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King”! Yo La Tengo did a pretty funny cover of Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life” with Mondegreen lyrics (that is, they sing it like someone who doesn’t really know the words but it making their best guess). ---
**Author:** ![melondeca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@melondeca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melondeca)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303/51 "2004-11-18T17:35:31Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > John Lennon’s Imagine re-done by A Perfect Circle. It’s like a darker shade of Imagine. WOW This is fucking fantastic. WOW ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303/52 "2004-11-18T17:53:45Z")
I was at a bar last weekend where they had satellite radio - they played a live cover of Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time” by Travis that was actually quite listenable. I was impressed. ---
**Author:** ![Mal\_Adroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Mal\_Adroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mal_Adroit)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303/53 "2004-11-18T18:01:43Z")
Toad the Wet Sprocket covered Kiss’s “Rock and Roll All Nite” a few years back and turned it into this mellow, acoustic-y Dylan type thing (!) I have to say, it was brilliant. They actually made a Kiss song sound poignant. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303/54 "2004-11-18T20:12:39Z")
> [@melondeca](#): > > Another one of my favorite unusual cover songs would have to be _These Boots Were Made For Walking_ as covered by Megadeth. Have you heard Crispin Glover’s version? That. Is. Bizarre. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303/55 "2004-11-18T20:17:35Z")
Ooh, I remembered one more: _Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow_ by Freehold, New Jersey. That’s not a band; it was the town of Freehold, New Jersey. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303/56 "2004-11-18T21:34:12Z")
The Holly Cole Trio made an entire album of Tom Waits covers, called “Temptation”. Absolutely beautiful album that I’m going to dig out and listen to as soon as I get home. And “Stay Awake” has a lot of other wonderful covers, too. Bonnir Raits’ version of “Baby Mine” from Dumbo makes me cry every time I hear it. “Castle in Spain” by Buster Poindexter is a killer, too, but I forget what Disney movie it’s from. ---
**Author:** ![Manatee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@Manatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manatee)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303/57 "2004-11-18T22:38:03Z")
> [@](#): > > And “Stay Awake” has a lot of other wonderful covers, too. Bonnir Raits’ version of “Baby Mine” from Dumbo makes me cry every time I hear it. “Castle in Spain” by Buster Poindexter is a killer, too, but I forget what Disney movie it’s from. That’d be “Babes in Toyland.” No, I’m not a big ol’ Disney geek; why do you ask? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303/58 "2004-11-18T22:50:16Z")
> [@Lisa-go-Blind](#): > > Have you heard Crispin Glover’s version? That. Is. Bizarre. Yeah! Doesn’t he sound like he’s trying to sing while pushing out a big ol’ turd? ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303/59 "2004-11-18T23:18:04Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Didn’t Sid Vicious cover _My Way_? > > Of course any cover by William Shatner or Leonard Nimoy would be up there. I wonder if we can get them to cover Peaches and Herb’s biggest duets? > > Or, on strange covers I’d like to see, maybe GWB and Condi Rice dueting on _I Got You, Babe_. Sid did a lot of cover songs on an album called “Sid Sings” ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303/60 "2004-11-18T23:19:34Z")
> [@dwc1970](#): > > Hayseed Dixie does bluegrass versions of AC/DC songs. Actually they do a lot of songs they have an album of Kiss covers and an album of 80’s covers too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-unusual-song-covers/275303.md?page=4)