# Songs that should never, ever be covered because it would only end in disaster **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2004, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-ever-be-covered-because-it-would-only-end-in-disaster/224800 "2004-01-16T17:48:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-ever-be-covered-because-it-would-only-end-in-disaster/224800/41 "2004-01-17T18:25:59Z")
4’33", by John Cage One Minute of Silence, by John Lennon (Soundgarden covered this on an early album; I guess they were trying to be stupid but were too successful) Actually, I think a lot of John’s solo stuff is uncoverable. The really personal stuff (like _God_) would sound very strange coming from anyone else. Some Beatles tunes, like _All You Need is Love_, should also be left alone. I agree about The Sound of Silence. **Ender\_Will** , have you heard Primus’s version of _The Thing That Should Not Be?_ ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-ever-be-covered-because-it-would-only-end-in-disaster/224800/42 "2004-01-17T18:59:26Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > “Stayin’ Alive” by the BeeGees. Great tune, but falsettos should not be attempted by 99.9% of the population. I guess you wouldn’t want to know that a version of this song was recorded by one John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne, then, would you? At least I’m almost certain that it was “Stayin’ Alive”–some BeeGees disco hit, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-ever-be-covered-because-it-would-only-end-in-disaster/224800/43 "2004-01-17T21:15:53Z")
> [@MGibson](#): > > Some of you seem to believe that a cover must sound something like the original to be any good. Is this a product of our mass production music industry? For many of us a single recording of a particular song becomes so familiar that we have a hard time accepting a different version. I seriously doubt there is any decent song out there that can’t be covered by someone else. If you’re expecting it to be exactly the same then you’ll always be disappointed. > > Marc Not necessarily so. Jayne’s Addiction did a kickass rendition of “Sympathy for the Devil” (sorry, **Mephisto** ). I’ve also heard a C&W rendition of “Spirit in the Sky” that was really, really good. I started a thread many moons ago about covers that are better than the original, that went on for quite a while, died and was resurrected. (My nominees included the Sid Vicious version of “My Way”, and the Nazereth version of “Love Hurts”.) Billy Idol’s version of “L.A. Woman” didn’t suck. Neither did his version of “Mony Mony” (you make me feel-ride the pony-so-ride the pony-good-ride the pony-yeah) I, and many of my co-Dopers, just feel that there are some songs that should just be left alone. ---
**Author:** ![hebesphenomegacorona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@hebesphenomegacorona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hebesphenomegacorona)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-ever-be-covered-because-it-would-only-end-in-disaster/224800/44 "2004-01-17T22:12:04Z")
[QUOTE=Thea Logica] Not necessarily so. Jayne’s Addiction did a kickass rendition of “Sympathy for the Devil” (sorry, **Mephisto** ). [QUOTE] As did Laibach. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-ever-be-covered-because-it-would-only-end-in-disaster/224800/45 "2004-01-18T01:05:55Z")
I heard a short-lived local band, Faces In Cabs, do a very good version of Rush’s complex “La Villa Strangiato”. So good Rush covers can be done. I bought a Yes tribute album once that was incredibly bad because while the members of the bands involved were all skilled musicians, they either stayed note-for-note loyal to the originals - all technique and no energy - or thought that piling on even more bombastic keyboard and guitar histrionics would be an improvement. Restraint was needed as bigger, louder versions of “Don’t Kill the Whale” and “Going for the One” are just overkill or “musical masterbation”. ---
**Author:** ![JCorre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@JCorre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JCorre)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-ever-be-covered-because-it-would-only-end-in-disaster/224800/46 "2004-01-18T01:30:22Z")
I can’t imagine that any band could do anything but screw up “3 Days” by Jane’s Addiction if they tried to cover it. ---
**Author:** ![twit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twit)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-ever-be-covered-because-it-would-only-end-in-disaster/224800/47 "2004-01-18T02:06:53Z")
Ice Wolf, actually some band named Zebrahead did a punk (?) version of the Spice Girls song “Wannabe”. It’s kinda funny hearing this song done in that style. The singer sounds a bit like the guy from the Offspring. If you can find it, try to get it. It’s good. ---
**Author:** ![gyt\_fx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@gyt\_fx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gyt_fx)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-ever-be-covered-because-it-would-only-end-in-disaster/224800/48 "2004-01-18T03:24:39Z")
Actually, I believe the band Coheed & Cambria could cover Rush farely well. They are compared to them by many people. The vocals are very similar and Co&Ca’s instrumental skills could probably could easily be able to play some of Rush’s work. Some songs I don’t think can be covered (very well, or not near as good as original) are: NOFX- The Decline CKY - (most any from their new CD IDR) Rage Against The Machine - (any song because there are no bands like them) ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-ever-be-covered-because-it-would-only-end-in-disaster/224800/49 "2004-01-18T06:59:10Z")
> [@Mephisto](#): > > I guess you wouldn’t want to know that a version of this song was recorded by one John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne, then, would you? > At least I’m almost certain that it was “Stayin’ Alive”–some BeeGees disco hit, anyway. Ozzy with Dweezil Zappa on guitar. Dweezil hosted some gameshow thing on USA for five minutes and Ozzy was on it. I prefer it to the original Stayin’ Alive. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-ever-be-covered-because-it-would-only-end-in-disaster/224800/50 "2004-01-18T07:15:56Z")
> [@Thea Logica](#): > > I think that there are certain songs that have been recorded at a state of perfection that is such that any attempt to cover them would just wouldn’t work. Others are done by artists with a certain… sound and the song would only work if done in that style. A few that come to mind are > > "\ > anything by Gordon Lightfoot \* > \ > > \*- See what I mean? Does this mean you don’t like Elwood’s version of “Sundown”? I do 😛 ---
**Author:** ![AntaresJB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@AntaresJB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AntaresJB)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2004, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-ever-be-covered-because-it-would-only-end-in-disaster/224800/51 "2004-01-25T18:39:45Z")
> [@Darkhold](#): > > Paint it Black, Rolling Stones. Just to point out, Vanessa Carlton did a cover of “Paint It Black” on her album _Be Not Nobody_. I like it, but maybe that’s just me. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-should-never-ever-be-covered-because-it-would-only-end-in-disaster/224800.md?page=2)