Who Are You? by the Who has an alternate release with a lost second verse to it.
The original:
The “lost” version:
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.)
The Comedian Harmonists were just amazing.
Same for me. Never knew this or heard the Stevie Wonder original.
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.
The Beatles re-recorded two of their hits in German. I guess that qualifies as “changing the lyrics!”
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.
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.
My Gentle Harp
… is not a parody or satire of
Danny Boy
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.”
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.
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.
The female version was recorded first by Randy Crawford, then famously by Charlene.
The Christmas carol “What Child Is This?” used the melody from the medieval song “Greensleeves”.
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.
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:
I stand corrected. I somehow always thought the French version was the weird novelty hit that was easily adaptable. Thanks for the info.
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.
Elvis’ “Love Me Tender” has the same tune as a hymn we used to sing in church.
I’m feeling sadistic.
Mary McGregor
Marti Caine
Mary Roos, in German
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.
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.
“Meet the Flintstones” with different lyrics and a disco beat:
