# Songs you would swear were done by someone else. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 7, 2006, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726 "2006-04-07T15:20:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/21 "2006-04-07T17:36:01Z")
Surf City, Dead Man’s Curve, and Little Old Lady from Pasadena. When I was a kid I always thought these were **Beach Boys** songs. I didn’t even know who **Jan & Dean** were. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/22 "2006-04-07T17:36:07Z")
Terry Stafford had a hit with “Suspicion” in 1964. To this day (as evidenced by a Goggle search of “Suspicion Elvis”) many people still think it was Elvis Presley. ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/23 "2006-04-07T17:41:15Z")
Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” always sounded like Roy Orbison, to me. ---
**Author:** ![Cemetery\_Savior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Cemetery\_Savior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cemetery_Savior)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/24 "2006-04-07T17:42:27Z")
I thought “Stuck in the Middle With You” was Lennon-esque Beatles. I woudl have bet you $5 it was either Beatles or solo Lennon. ---
**Author:** ![Logan\_5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/fbc32d/32.png) [@Logan\_5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Logan_5)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/25 "2006-04-07T17:42:56Z")
When I was young, anytime I heard the chorus to _All the Young Dudes_ by Mott the Hoople, I thought it was the Beatles or Lennon. And I’m still convinced New Order’s _Dreams Never End_ is actually a Joy Division song. The vocals sound more like Ian Curtis than Bernard Summner. Sure same band basically and right at the time of the transition, but still!!! 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/26 "2006-04-07T17:45:09Z")
Whenever I hear “Stay” by Pink Floyd off Obscured by Clouds I always think I’m suddenly listening to “Day after Day” (or whatever it’s called) by Badfinger. Now we just need a Beatles song that sounds like Pink Floyd – hmmm, Across the Universe? ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/27 "2006-04-07T17:47:16Z")
The first few times I heard \*\*Silent Lucidity \*\* by **Queesnryche** , I thought it was some old **Pink Floyd** song that I’d just never heard before. ---
**Author:** ![Jacob\_Silj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Jacob\_Silj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jacob_Silj)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/28 "2006-04-07T17:53:13Z")
**randwill** , good call on Suspcion by Terry Stafford- probably one of the best examples I was looking for. However, coincidence or not, Elvis did record a version of this song, which was not a big hit I don’t think, two years before Terry Stafford’s version. Never heard Elvis’ version, but maybe this is a case of Stafford doing Elvis better than Elvis could. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/29 "2006-04-07T17:57:07Z")
**"A Girl Like You"** by **Edwyn Collins**. The first time I heard it I thought, “Hey, that’s a cool **David Bowie** song.” ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/30 "2006-04-07T18:00:01Z")
“Public Execution” by Mouse and the Traps sounds like Bob Dylan “Rescue Me” by Fontella Bass sounds like Aretha Franklin (which is kinda odd given that “Rescue Me” predated Aretha’s commercial breakthrough with “Respect”) “Up in a Puff of Smoke” by Polly Brown sounds like Diana Ross “Back of My Hand (I Got Your Number)” by the Jags sounds like Elvis Costello ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/31 "2006-04-07T18:04:52Z")
> [@Winston Bongo](#): > > I’m always confusing songs/artists, but the most recent one I can remember is Emiliana Torrini singing “Gollum’s Song” from _The Two Towers_. I was absolutely positive it was Leigh Nash (of Sixpence None the Richer). Both have very distinctive voices that, oddly, sound almost identical. I originally thought it was Bjork. ---
**Author:** ![La\_Llorona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@La\_Llorona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/La_Llorona)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/32 "2006-04-07T18:11:45Z")
> [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#): > > That one’s a ringer; “Come and Get It” was written for Badfinger by Paul McCartney. This only gets more confusing when you realize that there actually does exist a more-obscure-than-not version of the Beatles singing this song ([Anthology 3](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002TZ2/sr=8-1/qid=1144433245/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-5856123-6620017?%5Fencoding=UTF8), disc two, track 18). ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/33 "2006-04-07T18:33:32Z")
I always thought “Don’t Dream It’s Over” by Crowded House sounded just like Billy Joel. I’ve asked a lot of people about this, and they all say I’m crazy. I already _know_ that–my question is, does anyone else think it sounds like Billy Joel? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/34 "2006-04-07T18:36:33Z")
_Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress_ by The Hollies sounds very much like **Creedence Clearwater Revival** to me. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/35 "2006-04-07T18:40:43Z")
> [@Jacob Silj](#): > > The best example I can come with is “Lies” by the Knickerbockers- this sounds so much like a Beatles in every way that I bet it fooled a lot of people in 1965. I’ll be damned…it fooled me up until about three minutes ago. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/36 "2006-04-07T19:13:24Z")
> [@An Arky](#): > > _Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress_ by The Hollies sounds very much like **Creedence Clearwater Revival** to me. :smack: Now I know why this song isn’t in any CCR best of albums. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/37 "2006-04-07T19:15:12Z")
“Breathe” by Anna Nalick constantly fools me into thinking it’s either Sheryl Crowe or Avril Lavigne doing a Crowesque song. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/38 "2006-04-07T19:21:44Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Surf City, Dead Man’s Curve, and Little Old Lady from Pasadena. > > When I was a kid I always thought these were **Beach Boys** songs. > I didn’t even know who **Jan & Dean** were. That’s understandable since there was a lot of interaction between the Beach Boys and Jan & Dean. For example, Brian Wilson co-wrote “Surf City” and Jan & Dean sang back-up on the Beach Boy’s cover of “Barbara Ann.” For me, when I was really young I used to think Steve Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry About a Thing” was actually by Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66/‘77. Also, when I first heard Joe Cocker’s cover of "Feelin’ Alright" and The Sir Douglas Quintet’s “She’s About a Mover,” I thought they were both done by Ray Charles. ---
**Author:** ![eveanyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@eveanyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eveanyn)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/39 "2006-04-07T19:32:55Z")
Well, I just learned today that A Horse with no Name was not sung by Neil Young. The House of the rising Sun sounds to me like Mick Jagger is the one singing. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/40 "2006-04-07T19:42:33Z")
> [@want2know](#): > > I always thought “Don’t Dream It’s Over” by Crowded House sounded just like Billy Joel. I’ve asked a lot of people about this, and they all say I’m crazy. > I already _know_ that–my question is, does anyone else think it sounds like Billy Joel? I think I know what you mean (the tone on “catch a deluge in a paper cup”) but overall, not really. Wow, some of the Web lyrics sites attribute **Horse with No Name** to Neil Young. Must remember to read everything with a grain of salt. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726.md?page=3)