# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2022, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/81 "2022-10-14T14:08:30Z")
Back in 1989, my friend and I produced a jazz jam session of sorts at a restaurant in Pearl City (we paid a bunch of local musicians and arranged with the owner to let us use a corner of the dining room as a stage for three or four hours). During the session, I requested that they play the Flintstones theme. Everybody was okay with it, but the rhythm guitar guy said he didn’t know it. The bassist told him “Just play _I Got Rhythm_.” Those chord changes work for dozens of songs. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2022, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/82 "2022-10-14T14:17:38Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Those chord changes work for dozens of songs Yep. The progression even has a name “rhythm changes” in jazz circles.It’s one of the foundational chord changes in jazz. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2022, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/83 "2022-10-14T14:29:04Z")
We’re this far in and no one’s mentioned what Rod McKuen did to the songs of Jaques Brel? From Brel, _Le Moribond_, a song about the thoughts of a dying man ([English lyrics](https://genius.com/Genius-english-translations-jacques-brel-le-moribond-english-translation-lyrics)) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ohOPRkllcmw/maxresdefault.jpg "Le moribond") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohOPRkllcmw) Translated by McKuen (who thought it "too macabre) into the glurgiest song in human history. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YG9otasNmxI/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGGUgUChGMA8=&rs=AOn4CLBwFTTf9mZovxM2cHuFqVOtjVVL8g "Terry Jacks - Seasons In The Sun") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG9otasNmxI) ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2022, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/84 "2022-10-14T14:49:49Z")
Interesting, I didn’t know that Neil himself sings the updated lyric. In that case, I’m ok with it. 🙂 It’s not a huge deal, but I did have a cringey reaction when I heard “I feel like I could cry.” mmm ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2022, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/85 "2022-10-14T15:34:53Z")
Dinosaur Jr. (really just J. Mascis on the recording) did a cover/mashup of Quicksand and Andy Warhol by David Bowie. He changed the lyrics to the verses to be about his station wagon that had been recently wrecked. I actually like it better than the original. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/7TWxNiJZFc4/hqdefault.jpg "Dinosaur Jr - Quick Sand") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TWxNiJZFc4) Oh, and the original for reference: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/kFN_bEgDE0M/maxresdefault.jpg "Quicksand (2015 Remaster)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFN_bEgDE0M) ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2022, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/86 "2022-10-14T16:41:53Z")
That’s it! This was bugging me earlier, I could remember the genre and feel of what had happened, but the specifics were eluding me. Great example, ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2022, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/87 "2022-10-14T17:31:07Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > It’s not a huge deal, but I did have a cringey reaction when I heard “I feel like I could cry.” I feel you, I had the same reaction. Someone some time ago posted the ATGR version by Parton/Harris/Ronstadt here and I commented that I liked the singing, but not the bowdlerization of that line. What I got as first response was “Ok, boomer”, though I’m a classic Gen-Xer. ---
**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 14, 2022, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/88 "2022-10-14T17:45:05Z")
They called themselves “Trio” and released two albums. ---
**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 14, 2022, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/89 "2022-10-14T18:35:20Z")
Joan Baez changed the lyrics of “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” from “Stoneman’s cavalry” to “So much cavalry.” Not sure why, since it makes the line more bland. ---
**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 14, 2022, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/90 "2022-10-14T19:03:03Z")
She also modified “Suzanne”, singing the line “you’ve touched her perfect body with your mind” with the modified lyrics " Cause she’s touched you, And she’s moved you, And she’s kind" ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2022, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/91 "2022-10-14T19:18:48Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Joan Baez changed the lyrics of “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” from “Stoneman’s cavalry” to “So much cavalry.” Not sure why, since it makes the line more bland. I think she just didn’t have lyric sheets when she recorded it. There are a few other mishearings on her version. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2022, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/92 "2022-10-14T19:21:48Z")
The Star Spangled Banner, based on a British song [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydAIdVKv84g) Elvis’s Wooden Heart, based on a German folk song [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/1CIimgUq7ic/maxresdefault.jpg "Muss i denn [German folk song][+English translation]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CIimgUq7ic) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2022, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/93 "2022-10-14T19:23:30Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Elvis’s Wooden Heart, based on a German folk song In the same way, he turned “O Sole Mio” into “It’s Now Or Never”. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2022, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/94 "2022-10-14T19:26:05Z")
Here is _Train_ singing ~~Heart an Soul~~ Play That Song [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/J5qWnG5RQTk/maxresdefault.jpg "Train - Play That Song (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5qWnG5RQTk) ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2022, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/95 "2022-10-15T01:58:27Z")
It was also interpreted as, “OK, so we lost the stupid war. We’re still alive, and we can make a new Japan.” It became very popular during the Tokyo Olympics. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2022, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/96 "2022-10-15T02:03:45Z")
A popular anti-War song around 1914–15 was _I didn’t raise my boy to be a soldier_ (P.O.V. of a grieving mother). After the Zimmerman telegram and all that followed, it was rewritten as _I’m glad I raised my boy to be a soldier_. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2022, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/97 "2022-10-15T03:02:53Z")
> [@Author\_Balk](#): > > You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi comes from a Bonnie Tyler song If You Were a Woman (And I was a Man) That’s weird. The original song was written by Michael Timmon from Cowboy Junkies. and performed by John Prine and Margot Timmons, and Tyler absolutely butchers it. So if I have this right, she took a Cowboy Junkies/John Prine song, changed the lyrics and mixed it into a sort-of Bonjovi song, which means she changed the lyrics of two good songs to make a bad one. Here is the fantastic original, sung live by John Prine and Cowboy Junkies. Listen to this, and marvel at how badly Bonnie Tyler mangled it.: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/W3WfU_PIuaI/maxresdefault.jpg "Cowboy Junkies & John Prine (Live) "If You Were the Woman And I Was the Man" (1992)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3WfU_PIuaI) ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2022, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/98 "2022-10-15T20:38:55Z")
“I’ve Been Everywhere” was first popularized by Australian artist Lucky Starr. The original version used all Australian towns: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-UAh7ogwAYQ/hqdefault.jpg "I've Been Everywhere (Australian version) - Lucky Starr") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UAh7ogwAYQ) Later it was re-written using American towns, and recorded by numerous singers, with Johnny Cash’s version probably the best known: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/mNj6spCtUE0/maxresdefault.jpg "I've Been Everywhere") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNj6spCtUE0) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2022, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/99 "2022-10-15T20:50:24Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > Later it was re-written using American towns There was also a New Zealand version, and I particularly liked how that one specifically mentioned where I am from (it’s one of the fifth verse ones). [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gkuXMcrcyS8/hqdefault.jpg "I ve been everywhere John Hore Grenell") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkuXMcrcyS8) Seems John Grenell died only a couple of months ago. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2022, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199/100 "2022-10-15T21:04:26Z")
Also a Canadian version of that song, done by Stompin’ Tom Connors. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/iAAzTOefHrc/hqdefault.jpg "Stompin' Tom, I been everywhere Man") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAAzTOefHrc) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-recorded-with-alternate-lyrics-to-the-original-but-not-for-humor-or-satire/973199.md?page=6)