# Song Covers

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-covers/470824>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 3, 2008, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-covers/470824 "2008-11-03T04:55:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-covers/470824/21 "2008-11-03T18:49:36Z")

</div>

Almost everything on Beat the Retreat, covers of Richard Thompson songs.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-covers/470824/22 "2008-11-03T18:53:20Z")

</div>

I’ll add some of my favorites when I get home tonight but let me say Joey Ramone’s What a Wonderful World.

Also, we’ll skip Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies because that’s just too easy.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [November 3, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-covers/470824/23 "2008-11-03T19:07:04Z")

</div>

> [@vetbridge](#):
>
> My bad. I misread.

Not a problem.

A couple more…

Alice Cooper and the Stray Cats both do good versions of Ubangi Stomp (Warren Smith original).  
William Shatner’s Rocketman (Elton John original) **will _never_ be beaten**.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-covers/470824/24 "2008-11-03T19:27:35Z")

</div>

“Sweet Dreams (are made of this)” by Marilyn Manson

“These Boots are Made for Walkin’” and “I Wanna Dance w/Somebody” by David Byrne.

“Blue Monday” by Orgy

“Word Up” by Korn

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tds1273](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-covers/470824/25 "2008-11-04T00:04:55Z")

</div>

Faith No More’s cover of “War Pigs” blows away the original; sorry Sabbath fans.

Saul Williams did the impossible by making me enjoy U2 through his “Sunday, Bloody Sunday” cover.(amazing live btw)

Dynamite Hack does a great soft rock cover of NWA’s “Boyz in the Hood”

Nirvana did a wonderful cover of Bowie’s “Man Who Sold the World” on their Unplugged set.

Ben Folds Five covered Built to Spill’s “Twin Falls”. I only have a faint memory of the cover, which by all accounts seems to be well done; the original is a nice song.

Pearl Jam was one of seemingly a number of covers of “Last Kiss”, but it’s a cover none the less.

The utterly bizarre guitarist Buckethead ‘sung’(ala Frampton) on his guitar “Pure Imagination” from Charlie and the Chocolate factory. Quite pretty actually.

If you can find a bootleg copy(or my email 😉 ) of The Nightwatchman (Tom Morello’s solo act) from Bonnaroo, he did an inspiring cover of Gauthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” with crowd participation.

The Foo Fighters have a kick ass cover of “Little Nikki”, despite Prince’s objections.

Finally, anything from Richard Cheese’s lounge or Weird Al’s accordion is always good for at least a smile.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-covers/470824/26 "2008-11-04T04:37:29Z")

</div>

Oh and let’s not forget Paul Anka’s “Rock Swings” album. The ENTIRE thing is brilliant, but I especially like “Eye of the Tiger” and “Wonderwall”.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TheBoltEater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheBoltEater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoltEater)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-covers/470824/27 "2008-11-04T06:24:22Z")

</div>

I’m a big fan of covers that make the original sound dumb by comparison - probably as a direct result of my huge pet peeve against covers that sound exactly like the original. Seriously, if I wanted to hear a song that sounded _exactly_ like another song… I’d just listen to the other song.

Anyway.

Here’s three of my favorite “My cover makes your original sound lame” songs

Stone Cold Crazy by Metallica (YouTube video)

Little Wing by Stevie Ray Vaughan (YouTube video)

Kashmir by Kevin Gilbert (article links to audio clip)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![timbicile59](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@timbicile59](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/timbicile59)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-covers/470824/28 "2008-11-08T00:21:36Z")

</div>

How about Train Kept A-rollin written in 1951 by Tiny Bradshaw and covered by The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-covers/470824/29 "2008-11-08T00:40:43Z")

</div>

> [@gigi](#):
>
> Almost everything on Beat the Retreat, covers of Richard Thompson songs.

Probably the only tribute album ever worth owning.

My personal favorite, which I always bring up in these threads, is **Husker Du** ’s cover of “Eight Miles High”.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-covers/470824/30 "2008-11-08T00:57:45Z")

</div>

Save Ferris: “Come on Eileen” (orig by Dexys Midnight Runners)

One of the best covers ever!

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-covers/470824.md?page=1)
