# Songs you didn't realize were covers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [December 7, 2020, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496 "2020-12-07T18:28:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2020, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496/41 "2020-12-08T07:26:00Z")
“Yesterday” by Billie Eilish. Turns out it was originally by some ‘60s British invasion band. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/c8m6kBF5ML8/maxresdefault.jpg "Yesterday - Billie Eilish (Audio)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8m6kBF5ML8) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2020, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496/42 "2020-12-08T07:44:28Z")
"Did you ever see that old film of The Beatles in New York in 1964 that Maysles made? It’s been around for years and there’s scenes of us coming into New York City. And there’s a scene in the Plaza Hotel and Murray the K 's there. During that, we’re on the telephone to Murray the K’s station. And he’s asking us for requests. And you can see in that film, I say, ‘Have you got a record called _Got My Mind Set On You_ by James Ray?’ And it’s… That song has just been with me and in the back of my head for years. And as it happened when we were doing those sessions [for Cloud Nine], Keltner had got this drum pattern. He was like in one corner just making up all this crazy drum patterns and he got this thing that was really swinging, you know, rock and swing built together. And Gary Wright was there. And Gary turned around and said, ‘Hey, doesn’t that remind you of _Got My Mind Set On You_ ?’ And I said, ‘Absolutely!’ 'Cause I played that song to meself over the years thinking, ‘God, this song is so good.’ Because as a pop or rock song, it’s got all the best bits like _Twist And Shout_ and, you know, it’s got all the good chords, you know. And so I said, ‘Absolutely and we just did it there and then.’ George Harrison (circa 1988 - In The Studio with Redbeard: Cloud Nine 25th anniversary) ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496/43 "2020-12-10T03:13:41Z")
Here’s an odd one. “Tomorrow Wendy” was written by Andy Prieboy of Wall of Voodoo and is on his solo album _…Upon my Wicked Son_. It is a duet with Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde. Johnette also covered the song on Concrete Blonde’s _Bloodletting._ Due to a quirk of releasing, _…Upon my Wicked Son_ came out July 10, 1990 while _Bloodletting_ came out May 15, 1990. So, it has the rare distinction of the cover being released before the original. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zZBQGCI2hm0/hqdefault.jpg "Andy Prieboy - Tomorrow Wendy") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZBQGCI2hm0) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/WMSjj9O5OMs/maxresdefault.jpg "Tomorrow, Wendy (Live/2010 Digital Remaster)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMSjj9O5OMs) ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496/44 "2020-12-10T03:20:06Z")
Jimmy Jones does it his way. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CKpbNvDg6zY/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGGEgYShhMA8=&rs=AOn4CLBosyyoAZ30TdnQ9wm51bnGtJH-xg "Jimmy Jones "Handyman"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKpbNvDg6zY) JT does it his way [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/S_lDP67LwoY/maxresdefault.jpg "James Taylor - Handy Man (Live at the Beacon Theater)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_lDP67LwoY) ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496/45 "2020-12-10T09:37:50Z")
Very cool. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496/46 "2020-12-10T11:54:57Z")
Didn’t know until recently that “My Way” is a cover of this French song from 1967: [https://youtu.be/Uc0gzoiS0Yk](https://youtu.be/Uc0gzoiS0Yk) P.S. How do I post a video link? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496/47 "2020-12-10T13:10:16Z")
Paste the link all by itself. Just the actual web address, no fancy markdown/markup. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Uc0gzoiS0Yk/hqdefault.jpg "Claude François My way Comme d'habitude") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc0gzoiS0Yk) ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496/48 "2020-12-10T13:39:51Z")
Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Mortimus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Mortimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mortimus)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496/49 "2020-12-10T13:48:59Z")
I always thought “Change the Locks” was written by Tom Petty mostly because it sounds like something he would write. Then I heard Lucinda William’s version and thought she was covering Petty. Then I found out that I had it exactly the opposite. Petty was covering Williams. I love the grittiness of the original over the slickness of Petty’s version. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/sI6JoY_FrmY/maxresdefault.jpg "Changed the Locks") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI6JoY_FrmY) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/h0OKGLwW1Cw/hqdefault.jpg "Tom Petty - Change The Locks") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0OKGLwW1Cw) It was also covered by Johnny Cash but apparently never released which was probably a good thing. This recording sounds like an out-take. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M005Z5tmnkM) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496/50 "2020-12-10T17:25:54Z")
Speaking of Johnny Cash covers. Here’s the original by Bruce Springsteen [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OAjhHbtZyQU/hqdefault.jpg "Bruce Springsteen - Johnny 99") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAjhHbtZyQU) And here’s Johnny Cash’s cover [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/F04YAnxuU2g/hqdefault.jpg "Johnny 99 - Johnny Cash") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F04YAnxuU2g) ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496/51 "2020-12-10T17:26:40Z")
> [@Uniqueorn](#): > > Didn’t know until recently that “My Way” is a cover of this French song from 1967: Well if you’re going to consider My Way as a cover of that song, how about this? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/qKd5dAdEosc/maxresdefault.jpg "David Bowie Demo For Frank Sinatra - Even A Fool Learns To Love") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKd5dAdEosc) j ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496/52 "2020-12-10T17:33:52Z")
Actually, on the subject of “covers” with new different-language lyrics, I had no idea for many years that Amoureuse by Kiki Dee was such a cover (and in the US the equivalent cover of the same original is Emotion by Helen Reddy.) Here’s the French original by Veronique Sanson. The Kiki Dee version is part new English lyric and part translation. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/26Pih5A0pdQ/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AHuBIAC4AOKAgwIABABGHIgRSg9MA8=&rs=AOn4CLDgxCAdHpd3E1Z1FDzhe3E2QVqU7Q "Véronique Sanson - Amoureuse - Olympia 76 (4/17)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26Pih5A0pdQ) j ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496/53 "2020-12-10T17:58:16Z")
David Lee Roth’s Just a Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody medley is a direct cover of the great Louis Prima. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BUsWiIN-LfE/maxresdefault.jpg "David Lee Roth - Just A Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody (1985) (Music Video - MTV Version)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUsWiIN-LfE) [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrJ7DQojzIY) Of course, no one is better than Keely Smith. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496/54 "2020-12-10T20:54:13Z")
I just learned about this one yesterday. (FWIW, I despise the song.) **Somethin’ Stupid** was written by C. Carson Parks (Van Dyke Parks’ older brother), and was recorded by Carson & Gaile (CCP and his wife) in 1966. Van Dyke Parks mentioned the song to Frank Sinatra, who covered it with daughter Nancy and made it a hit. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496/55 "2020-12-10T21:46:53Z")
I didn’t know Annie Lennox was covering a song from 1933 until I looked it up. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/pfk8kLJMab0/maxresdefault.jpg "Annie Lennox - Keep Young and Beautiful (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfk8kLJMab0) ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2020, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496/56 "2020-12-11T12:56:20Z")
“Puttin’ On the Ritz” by Taco (1982) was written by Irving Berlin in 1927. The Taco version also has snippets of other Irving Berlin oldies. Here’s a 1930 version: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/seB5BYvkMXk/maxresdefault.jpg "1930, Puttin' On The Ritz, Phil Spitalny Orch. Carl Webster Orch. HD 78rpm") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seB5BYvkMXk) ---
**Author:** ![WalterBishop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/aeb1de/32.png) [@WalterBishop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WalterBishop)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2020, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496/57 "2020-12-11T13:02:09Z")
I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but I only found out a couple of years ago that Joe Cocker’s remarkable “Little Help From My Friends” was originally a Beatles song. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2020, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496/58 "2020-12-11T13:09:58Z")
Pssst…so is She Came In Through The Bathroom Window. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2020, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496/59 "2020-12-11T14:32:54Z")
“The First Cut Is the Deepest” was written by Cat Stevens and released on his debut album. ---
**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:** [December 11, 2020, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496/60 "2020-12-11T15:14:46Z")
Steve Miller’s “Jet Airliner” is actually a cover of Paul Pena’s [“Jet Airliner”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjr5U7g6aiA). The original is pretty smokin’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-didnt-realize-were-covers/927496.md?page=4)