# 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:** 4
### Author:  [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2023, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/61 "2023-01-04T20:08:23Z")
Some folks are weird, and I leave it at that.
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### Author:  [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2023, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/62 "2023-01-04T20:29:40Z")
Even Vegan Death Metal exists, c.f. “[Cattle Decapitation](http://www.cattledecapitation.com/)”
Though, unless ypu are a fan of fringle metal, I’d not suggest listening to their music. Even my most metal fan friend can only take it in small doses.
As for music that simply cannot be covered, I profer Eric Idle with the hit single, “Always look on the Bright Side of Life”.
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### Author:  [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2023, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/63 "2023-01-04T20:31:11Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#):
>
> (btw., was their [After The Fire] Falco cover also about cocaine 😉?)
Sorry, can’t help you there. We were a pretty sniffy bunch. 😉
The best not-a-punk story was about John Otway, who only got a record contract because the A&R man involved _thought_ he was a punk. Clue: he’s not, he defies categorization. Nobody will ever cover Otway’s version of House Of The Rising Sun.
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am7YaW1A5vw)
j
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### Author:  [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2023, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/64 "2023-01-04T22:23:49Z")
I think Johnny Cash did a decent job with “Down There By The Train”.
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### Author:  [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2023, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/65 "2023-01-04T22:41:13Z")
> [@Didi44](#):
>
> Any Black Sabbath song, originally sung by Ozzie and OMG! NOT DIO!
I beg to differ on this one. I give you Brown Sabbath:
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au1kBj_-Zno)
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### Author:  [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2023, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/66 "2023-01-06T17:22:54Z")
> [@wguy123](#):
>
> I beg to differ on this one. I give you Brown Sabbath:
That was awesome.
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### Author:  [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2023, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/67 "2023-01-06T18:42:14Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#):
>
> No one but Dylan can ever sing _Like a Rolling Stone_, _Subterranean Homesick Blues_, _Positively Fourth Street_, or _Tangled Up in Blue_.
>
> There are many Dylan songs that actually can be covered, but definitely not these.
_Idiot Wind_ is the first one that pops into my mind. The uncoverability of a Dylan song is directly proportional to the amount of sneering vitriol in the original. No one sings anger like Dylan.
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### Author:  [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2023, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/68 "2023-01-06T19:01:25Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#):
>
> Any song written by Bob Dylan or Lou Reed can be covered. Period.
_Metal Machine Music_?
A couple friends of mine tried to do it _a cappella_, but petered out after a minute or so.
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### Author:  [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2023, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/69 "2023-01-06T22:35:37Z")
No one but Justin Hayward should sing the Moody Blues songs that Justin Hayward wrote.
For example: [Nights in White Satin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9muzyOd4Lh8)
[Tuesday Afternoon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPLWBhNW3FM)
[Question](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP9iOqdxS8c)
[Gypsy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWuwUhSis1U)
etc. etc.
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### Author:  [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2023, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/70 "2023-01-06T23:21:43Z")
They weren’t the originators of these songs, but no one should perform them, _but_ them:
Tiptoe Through the Tulips
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcSlcNfThUA)
Shine On Harvest Moon
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGUW0uAwDyw)
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### Author:  [@YellowDog51](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YellowDog51)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2023, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/71 "2023-01-07T00:35:17Z")
I’m surprised no one has mentioned the Beatles in this thread. I generally don’t care for Beatles covers (though I’ve heard a few that were OK), but one jumped to mind as I read through this: _“I Want to Hold Your Hand”_.
My thought is that, while this is not such a personal song, it is the iconic Beatles song for Americans of a certain age. And no one else could re-create the impact that song made on those of us of a certain age.
It hasn’t really aged that well, but it means more than just the song itself.
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2023, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/72 "2023-01-07T00:53:22Z")
Nobody should cover anything Chris Cornell sang, because it will suck in comparison.
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> Look what they’ve done to her song, Ma!
Bravo!
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### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2023, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/73 "2023-01-07T01:16:29Z")
> [@Akaj](#):
>
> > [@Kent\_Clark](#):
> >
> > No one but Dylan can ever sing _Like a Rolling Stone_
>
> Jimi begs to differ.
>
> [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktjpxrIFOx8](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.
Weird Al Yankovic actually did a parody. It wasn’t a parody of the actual song, but it’s a style parody of Dylan and the video is a parody.
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/JUQDzj6R3p4/maxresdefault.jpg ""Weird Al" Yankovic - Bob (Official HD Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUQDzj6R3p4)
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### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2023, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/74 "2023-01-07T01:23:16Z")
> [@Akaj](#):
>
> > [@Kent\_Clark](#):
> >
> > _Subterranean Homesick Blues_
>
> Agreed on this one. Hard to imagine anyone else singing it without making it sound like a parody.
Weird Al Yankovic did a parody. Not a cover of the exact song. It was a style parody and the video was a parody of the original video.
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/JUQDzj6R3p4/maxresdefault.jpg ""Weird Al" Yankovic - Bob (Official HD Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUQDzj6R3p4)
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### Author:  [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2023, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/75 "2023-01-07T01:23:31Z")
> [@Tibby](#):
>
> Tiptoe Through the Tulips
[And this one.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYrUZOzGNsE) Sorry Barry, Robin and Maurice but he nailed it and he owns it.
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### Author:  [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2023, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/76 "2023-01-07T14:44:36Z")
> [@YellowDog51](#):
>
> I’m surprised no one has mentioned the Beatles in this thread. I generally don’t care for Beatles covers (though I’ve heard a few that were OK),
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMEAg3mUtyk)
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### Author:  [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2023, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/77 "2023-01-07T14:59:05Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#):
>
> Nobody should cover anything Chris Cornell sang, because it will suck in comparison.
I was in a Thai restaurant in Orlando when I heard an upbeat soft jazz version of “Black Hole Sun”. No-one was killed in the aftermath but it was a close-run thing.
I can’t think of too many many serious attempts at covers of “The Who”. Can’t think of any that would work. Also, for someone who wrote many songs for others there are still iconic songs by Prince that are best left alone. “Purple Rain” probably high on that list.
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### Author:  [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2023, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/78 "2023-01-07T15:03:15Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#):
>
> I can’t think of too many many serious attempts at covers of “The Who”
An album of Who covers reached #2 on the charts. I’d venture to say more people have heard Elton John’s version of “Pinball Wizard” than The Who’s.
> **[Tommy (soundtrack)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_(soundtrack)?wprov=sfti1)**
>
> Tommy is a soundtrack album by The Who with contributions from numerous artists. The soundtrack was used in the 1975 Tommy film that was based on the original album that was released by The Who in 1969. Pete Townshend oversaw the production of this double-LP recording that returned the music to its rock roots, and on which the unrecorded orchestral arrangements he had envisaged for the original Tommy LP were realised by the extensive use of synthesiser.
> The soundtrack LP also employed many l...
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### Author:  [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2023, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/79 "2023-01-07T15:03:53Z")
Christian Death Metal doesn’t make much of a contradiction, but Christian Black Metal would.
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### Author:  [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2023, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-be-covered-played-by-someone-else/977552/80 "2023-01-07T15:04:18Z")
In a hippy coffee house, I once heard a geeky white guy perform “Purple Rain” with an acoustic guitar, and it STILL sounded good. Sinead O’connor and the Bangles both had hits with Prince songs. He wrote songs for everybody to perform
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