# Songs recorded with alternate lyrics to the original but not for humor or satire **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [October 13, 2022, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199 "2022-10-13T17:21:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/21 "2022-10-13T19:33:12Z")
_Who Are You?_ by the Who has an alternate release with a lost second verse to it. The original: https://www.youtube.com/embed/LYb_nqU_43w?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=OLAK5uy_mpwscNiswL3HEToJK_5eJoVPbIoIDNGSg The “lost” version: https://www.youtube.com/embed/wYMewIB8CME?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=OLAK5uy_mpwscNiswL3HEToJK_5eJoVPbIoIDNGSg ---
**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:** [October 13, 2022, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/22 "2022-10-13T19:34:29Z")
> [@74westy](#): > > Make 'Em Laugh from the movie Singing in the Rain was the Cole Porter song Be a Clown with new lyrics. It’s not known why Porter didn’t sue. He would have won hands down. Cecil discussed this. Basically, Freed had hired him when he was going through career troubles and decided to let it slide. (Since Porter was independently wealthy even without his songwriting, he didn’t need the money.) [https://www.straightdope.com/21341497/aren-t-the-show-tunes-be-a-clown-and-make-em-laugh-suspiciously-similar](https://www.straightdope.com/21341497/aren-t-the-show-tunes-be-a-clown-and-make-em-laugh-suspiciously-similar) ---
**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:** [October 13, 2022, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/23 "2022-10-13T19:35:44Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > “Happy Days Are Here Again” turned into a love song: > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ey9wYTOgew](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ey9wYTOgew) The Comedian Harmonists were just amazing. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/24 "2022-10-13T19:41:50Z")
Same for me. Never knew this or heard the Stevie Wonder original. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/25 "2022-10-13T19:42:14Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Not a direct alternate but close. > > 1966: > > [https://youtu.be/Oxzg\_iM-T4E](https://youtu.be/Oxzg_iM-T4E) > > 2009: > > [https://youtu.be/6pLdaDzV8Ts](https://youtu.be/6pLdaDzV8Ts) This, however, is an alternate take. The writers wrote a second song with Squeaky and the Black Night substituted for Snoopy and the Red Baron in case Charles Schultz sued for copyright infringement. This version was released in Canada. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/7PqmyGp2EXg/maxresdefault.jpg "Royal Guardsmen - "Squeaky vs The Black Knight" [STEREO]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PqmyGp2EXg) ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/26 "2022-10-13T19:48:03Z")
The Beatles re-recorded two of their hits in German. I guess that qualifies as “changing the lyrics!” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YmjnK4zTBhM/maxresdefault.jpg "Sie liebt dich (Remastered 2009)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmjnK4zTBhM) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/6qAazPVLONM/maxresdefault.jpg "Komm gib mir deine Hand (Remastered 2009)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qAazPVLONM) ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/27 "2022-10-13T19:52:41Z")
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun > The song was written by Robert Hazard, who recorded a demo of it in 1979. Hazard wrote the song from a male point of view. Lauper’s version appeared on her 1983 debut solo record She’s So Unusual. Lauper changed some of the lyrics at the suggestion of her producer and she also had her own suggestions about how her version should sound. [wiki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girls_Just_Want_to_Have_Fun) Basically changed the meaning of the phrase _Girls Just Wanna Have Fun_ j ETA - and I just remembered the horrible Ronan Keating bowdlerization of Fairy Tale Of New York. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/28 "2022-10-13T19:53:21Z")
My Gentle Harp [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/TJM9WrgyrIs/maxresdefault.jpg "My Gentle Harp - arr. Alice Parker - UWF Singers, Dr. Peter Steenblik") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJM9WrgyrIs) … is not a parody or satire of Danny Boy [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/DquA6KyHTos/maxresdefault.jpg "Celtic Woman - Danny Boy (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DquA6KyHTos) ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/29 "2022-10-13T19:58:14Z")
Plastic Bertrand’s 1977 single “Ça plane pour moi” was done in rapidfire nonsense French. There were several covers, but the one I always knew to absolutely fill a club floor was Elton Motellos’ “Jet Boy Jet Girl.” [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/RDHjeiys3a0/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AG-AoAChgKKAgwIABABGH8gNigTMA8=&rs=AOn4CLDQP0h4u-Bgm7vsN8miWIq8hKX3Ew "Plastic Bertrand - Ça Plane Pour Moi") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDHjeiys3a0) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/KgbtLJyLDu8/hqdefault.jpg "Elton Motello Jet Boy Jet Girl") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgbtLJyLDu8) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/30 "2022-10-13T20:02:17Z")
Actually, _Jet Boy Jet Girl_ was recorded before _C’est Plane Pour Moi_. The same backing track was used for both, but really wasn’t conceived as part of either song. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/31 "2022-10-13T20:04:31Z")
Ron Miller and Kenneth Hirsch wrote two versions of “I’ve Never Been to Me”, one from the female perspective, one from the male perspective. The male version was recorded by [Walter Jackson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul44rWt3q-g). The female version was recorded first by [Randy Crawford](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX6eoIKFzns), then famously by [Charlene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oSjhuIb6Us). The Christmas carol “[What Child Is This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s9ghpx-b3o)?” used the melody from the medieval song “[Greensleeves](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twix9KfES9Y)”. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/32 "2022-10-13T20:13:43Z")
The R&B hit “Work With Me Annie” by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters was bowdlerized into “Dance With Me Henry”, recorded by Georgia Gibbs. From the original version: _Annie, please don’t cheat (a-um, a-um)_ _Give me all my meat (a-um, a-um)_ _(Ooh) ooo-hoo-wee (a-um, a-um)_ _So good to me (a-um, a-um)_ _Work with me, Annie (a-um, a-um)_ _Let’s get it while the gettin’ is good (a-um, a-um)_ _(So good, so good, so good, so good)_ From the Gibbs recording: _Talk to me Henry (don’t change your mind)_ _Dance with me Henry (alright)_ _You better dance while the music goes on_ _Roll on, roll on, roll on_ In the category of instrumental hits that had lyrics added later, there’s “Wild Weekend” by The Rockin’ Rebels; a version with lyrics was recorded by NRBQ. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JSUq7vxs1Cg/hqdefault.jpg "NRBQ - It's a Wild Weekend") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSUq7vxs1Cg) ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/33 "2022-10-13T20:22:13Z")
Frank Sinatra’s My Way is based on a French song “Comme d’Habitide” by Claude Francois. Not only are the lyrics in a different language, but the meaning is completely different. The original is the rather sad story of a couple that have fallen out of love but keep up their routine. Here is Francois’ version: [(6) Claude Francois - Comme D’Habitude - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w22haP4hgsQ) ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/34 "2022-10-13T20:25:08Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Actually, _Jet Boy Jet Girl_ was recorded before _C’est Plane Pour Moi_. The same backing track was used for both, but really wasn’t conceived as part of either song. I stand corrected. I somehow always thought the French version was the weird novelty hit that was easily adaptable. Thanks for the info. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/35 "2022-10-13T20:28:37Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > Ron Miller and Kenneth Hirsch wrote two versions of “I’ve Never Been to Me”, one from the female perspective, one from the male perspective. > > The male version was recorded by [Walter Jackson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul44rWt3q-g). > > The female version was recorded first by [Randy Crawford](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX6eoIKFzns), then famously by [Charlene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oSjhuIb6Us). Good god! I knew of the Charlene version but today I learned there are at least two other versions of this horrible song! Hopefully I never learn of any others. ---
**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:** [October 13, 2022, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/36 "2022-10-13T20:36:01Z")
Elvis’ “Love Me Tender” has the same tune as a hymn we used to sing in church. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/37 "2022-10-13T20:39:31Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Good god! I knew of the Charlene version but today I learned there are at least two other versions of this horrible song! Hopefully I never learn of any others. I’m feeling sadistic. [Mary McGregor](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFqvU775B90) [Marti Caine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dInHCd6orbg) [Mary Roos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynqgJUY5sD4), in German > **[I've Never Been to Me](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27ve_Never_Been_to_Me)** > > "I've Never Been to Me" is a ballad, written and composed by Ron Miller and Kenneth Hirsch and made popular via a recording by American singer Charlene. Although its original release in 1977 barely registered on the Billboard Hot 100, its re-release in 1982 hit #3 in the US and earned her a gold certification in Australia, where it held the #1 spot for six weeks. In addition, the song topped the charts in Canada (4 weeks), Ireland (3 weeks) and the United Kingdom. It was also a top ten triu The... ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/38 "2022-10-13T20:47:21Z")
At least I can’t understand the words in the German version. Problem is, I still know those schmaltzy lyrics are there, along with the extremely boring music accompaniment. My friend, for reasons unknown to anyone, had the Carlene version on tape in his car. We’d be trapped in the car and he would pop that in to purposefully torment the passengers. I still have nightmares of those road trips. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/39 "2022-10-13T20:54:00Z")
The Beach Boys were on both sides of this. “Surfin’ USA” is sung to the tune of Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen” and the music to their “Catch a Wave” was repurposed for Jan & Dean’s “Sidewalk Surfin” Mike Love completely rewrote the LSD themed lyrics to “Hang on to Your Ego” and the song was released as “I Know There’s an Answer” by The Beach Boys. Decades later, Frank Black recorded it with the original lyrics. ---
**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:** [October 13, 2022, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/40 "2022-10-13T20:57:14Z")
“Meet the Flintstones” with different lyrics and a disco beat: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zl0KCW-l_rI/hqdefault.jpg "GEORGE BAKER SELECTION - Paloma Blanca (1975) Original Single!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl0KCW-l_rI) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199.md?page=3)