# Songs that should never be covered/played by someone else
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Tags:** music
**Created:** [January 2, 2023, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552 "2023-01-02T22:34:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2023, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/21 "2023-01-03T13:44:03Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#):
>
> I’m struggling to think of a _single_ Dylan song that I would want to hear from someone else
You haven’t heard my slow, fingerpicked acoustic arrangement of LIKE A ROLLING STONE. Sometimes I omit the titular chorus and play just the verses. It’s nice.
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### Author:  [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2023, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/22 "2023-01-03T14:26:19Z")
I never heard a cover of a Tom Waits song that I thought was anywhere near the original. (And there gazillions of them.)
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### Author:  [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2023, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/23 "2023-01-03T14:27:18Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#):
>
> I’m struggling to think of a _single_ Dylan song that I would want to hear from someone else.
Well, Bob Dylan seems to disagree (Patti Smith representing Dylan at the Nobel Prize ceremony):
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/941PHEJHCwU/maxresdefault.jpg "Patti Smith performs Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" - Nobel Prize Award Ceremony 2016") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=941PHEJHCwU)
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### Author:  [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2023, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/24 "2023-01-03T15:06:11Z")
> [@Didi44](#):
>
> OMG! I hate, hate, hate _I Will Always Love You_ by Whitney. I thought it was the song, but finally heard Dolly’s version and I actually kind of like it.
Whitney Houston’s version is the cover, to be clear. A bit ambiguous the way you wrote it.
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### Author:  [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2023, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/25 "2023-01-03T15:26:56Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#):
>
> No one but Dylan can ever sing _Like a Rolling Stone_
Jimi begs to differ.
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktjpxrIFOx8)
> [@Kent\_Clark](#):
>
> _Subterranean Homesick Blues_
Agreed on this one. Hard to imagine anyone else singing it without making it sound like a parody.
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### Author:  [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2023, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/26 "2023-01-03T15:35:12Z")
Anything by Joy Division, since this was Ian Curtis’ pain, and his alone. [Not that others have tried…]
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### Author:  [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2023, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/27 "2023-01-03T16:29:32Z")
**Springsteen** recently released a new single, a cover of the **Commodores** hit _Nightshift_. Struck me kinda funny, seemed kinda funny, sir, to me. The song feels so personal, but maybe Bruce knew **Marvin Gaye** and **Jackie Wilson**.
_American Pie_ shouldn’t be covered. I sure hope that never happens.
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### Author:  [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2023, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/28 "2023-01-03T17:11:05Z")
Yes, of course, thank you.
II knew the song was country, but it wasn’t until much, much later that I learned it was from Dolly. I hesitated listening to it, but now understand what it’s supposed to be.
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### Author:  [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2023, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/29 "2023-01-03T17:12:35Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#):
>
> _American Pie_ shouldn’t be covered. I sure hope that never happens.
A therapist can help with repressed memories.
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### Author:  [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2023, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/30 "2023-01-03T17:14:52Z")
I would have agreed until I saw this Al-endorsed cover of Dare to Be Stupid.
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tc6UbEYI4M)
(I feel like I’m new here again. I don’t know how to quote anymore. I’ll go search that 😃 )
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2023, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/31 "2023-01-03T17:24:50Z")
> [@drewbert](#):
>
> I would have agreed until I saw this Al-endorsed cover of Dare to Be Stupid.
>
> [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tc6UbEYI4M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tc6UbEYI4M)
>
> (I feel like I’m new here again. I don’t know how to quote anymore. I’ll go search that 😃 ) -
That was _awesome_.
Not only for the perfect rendition but all the callouts to previous videos.
And the appearance of The Great Weird One near the end.
ETA: That wasn’t a cover, that was a love letter.
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### Author:  [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2023, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/32 "2023-01-03T17:33:00Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#):
>
> _American Pie_ shouldn’t be covered.
I saw a guy in Nashville do a cover of the 45-rpm single he had as a kid, complete with skips, scratches and a short delay in the middle to flip the record over.
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### Author:  [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2023, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/33 "2023-01-03T21:27:15Z")
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> Nobody ever covered Melanie’s Roller-skate song. Right?
Uh, wrong actually. Well, kinda. Assuming I’m not being whooshed, allow me to introduce you to The Worzels. I apologize in advance for the harm this will inevitably cause.
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb63PdPweDc)
j
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### Author:  [@its\_the\_daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/its_the_daddy)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2023, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/34 "2023-01-03T21:35:22Z")
Still performing.
Still performing “Combine Harvester”.
Regularly.
I saw them play two years ago.
Number One in the UK in June 1976 for two weeks.
If there’s any justice, Melanie is still raking in the royalties.
Anybody know how (if) this works?
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### Author:  [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2023, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/35 "2023-01-03T21:45:14Z")
I was thinking to myself that Roxy Music seem to be as cover-proof as you can get - setting aside Bryan Ferry’s versions of some Roxy songs, I couldn’t think of a single cover of the top of my head. Turns out there are loads (you can track covers down on the site Second Hand Songs - eg [Songs originally by Roxy Music | SecondHandSongs](https://secondhandsongs.com/artist/165/originals#nav-entity.))
So - one of their songs that should never be covered? I’ll go with [2HB](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX6WEY2Wh8w) - a very personal reflection on Humphrey Bogart.
j
ETA: @its_the_daddy - 46 years on? Lordy.
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### Author:  [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2023, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/36 "2023-01-03T21:49:50Z")
I got into a heated argument with someone who was convinced that Dolly’s version was the cover. He was at least willing to admit that it was a good cover of Houston’s song. 🙄
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### Author:  [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2023, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/37 "2023-01-03T21:52:03Z")
Did you get him to look up the songwriter credits for the song?
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### Author:  [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2023, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/38 "2023-01-03T21:56:21Z")
We were in the car at the time, so it had to wait until we got home (this was in the days before smartphones). I dug through my CD collection until I found one which had Dolly singing it.
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### Author:  [@its\_the\_daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/its_the_daddy)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2023, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/39 "2023-01-03T21:56:56Z")
They’re playing three miles away from me, in April.
I must make a note in my diary not to go.
> **[The Wurzels](https://www.songkick.com/artists/176398-wurzels)**
>
> Buy tickets for The Wurzels concerts near you. See all upcoming 2023-24 tour dates, support acts, reviews and venue info.
The only gig booked in the UK right now. But the calendar will fill up. They’re still very popular.
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### Author:  [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2023, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/40 "2023-01-03T23:07:41Z")
> [@Shakester](#):
>
> > [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#):
> >
> > I’m struggling to think of a _single_ Dylan song that I would want to hear from someone else.
> >
> > mmm
>
> The Byrds did about a dozen Dylan covers, and most of them are excellent.
>
> Jimi Hendrix did All Along the Watchtower and, I would say, took it to a whole new level.
I was never a fan of the Byrds’ covers, but yeah, I’d forgotten about Jimi’s “Watchtower”.
> [@peccavi](#):
>
> Well, Bob Dylan seems to disagree…
His mileage may vary.
mmm
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