# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/41 "2006-04-07T21:16:45Z")
> [@Dung Beetle](#): > > “If you want it, here it is, come and get it…” that song sounds like the Beatles, but is actually Badfinger. That’s news to me. Learn something new everyday on the SDMB. I originally thought “One Toke Over the Line” by Brewer & Shipley was by the Grateful Dead (or perhaps a Bobby Weir solo song). “Mirror in the Bathroom” by the EasyBeats - used to think that was UB40. ---
**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, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/42 "2006-04-07T21:19:55Z")
Just remembered this one! Kelly Clarkson’s “Because of You” starts out sounding exactly like a Paula Cole song. Every time I hear it I have this moment of ear-perking because of that until about 2 seconds into the song. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/43 "2006-04-07T21:21:10Z")
> [@Jacob Silj](#): > > One I have heard other people mention is “It’s a Heartache” by Bonnie Tyler, but I think this is dubious. Sure, her voice is scratchy and hoarse in a way similar to Rod Stewart’s, but I mean she is female and he is male, for starters. I can see how one could say “wow her voice is kinda like Rod’s” but I can’t see anyone actually thinking that is Rod. Or maybe I am wrong. The very first time I heard Kim Carnes singing “Bette Davis Eyes,” I mistook her for Rod Stewart. ---
**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, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/44 "2006-04-07T21:22:01Z")
> [@Art Vandelay](#): > > “Mirror in the Bathroom” by the EasyBeats - used to think that was UB40. And here I thought it was by the Engli…ohhh wait. Almost :smack: here. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/45 "2006-04-07T21:23:53Z")
I was a junior in high school when Bonnie TYler’s “It’s a Heartache” came out, and I can assure the OP, it’s no joke: I must’ve heard it 30 or 40 times before I realized it wasn’t Rod Stewart. In the early 70s, I liked a lot of Billy Preston’s synthesizer instrumentals. When I first heard the Commodores’ “Machine Gun,” it sounded just like the kind of thing Billy Preston was doing (“Outa Space,” “Space Race,” et al.), and I was sure it was Billy for months. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/46 "2006-04-07T21:28:01Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > And here I thought it was by the Engli…ohhh wait. Almost :smack: here. :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: My bad. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/47 "2006-04-07T21:33:11Z")
For _years_ I thought _What’s up_ was by Cher. It’s Four Non Blondes. Coulda swore it was Cher. ---
**Author:** ![Cabbage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/48 "2006-04-07T21:37:17Z")
> [@La Llorona](#): > > 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). Yeah, it’s Paul by himself playing all the instruments. As I recall, he made that song as a demo for Badfinger, told them if they played it _exactly_ like that (which they did) it would be a hit (which it was). ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/49 "2006-04-07T21:55:32Z")
At one point in my life, I’d have sworn that \*Laughter in the Rain \* was sung by a woman instead of Neil Sedaka. And I really hated that song, no matter who was singing it… ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/50 "2006-04-07T22:54:57Z")
> [@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 can’t make that connection myself. Perhaps it’s because when that song came out I was already familiar with Neil Finn from his days with Split Enz, so I never had to try and guess who it was. But Billy Joel? C’mon. There’s a pretty strong Kiwi accent there. ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/51 "2006-04-07T23:59:13Z")
“Ramblin’ Man” by the Allman Brothers (I always thought it was by The Eagles) ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2006, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/52 "2006-04-08T06:07:18Z")
For a long time I tried to find out who did the song **Modern Love**. The only person I could think of was _Billy Joel_. But later found out it was _David Bowie_. I also love **The Break up Song** and thought it was done by **Bryan Adams** but was puzzled because I owned all his albums upto **Waking up the Neighbors** and couldn’t find it. Then, it was played on a radio station and I found out it was done by the **Greg Kihn Band**. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2006, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/53 "2006-04-08T06:10:15Z")
Oops, and ignore my seamingly random use of bold and italics :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Mal\_Adroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Mal\_Adroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mal_Adroit)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2006, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/54 "2006-04-08T14:16:24Z")
> [@Ghanima](#): > > I always thought “Waiting for the Man” was Lou Reed. It’s apparently actually David Bowie. > [@Sean Factotum](#): > > Bowie might have a version of it, but it was originally done by The Velvet Underground with Reed doing the vocals. Kind of on that subject- a couple of songs that Bowie produced and/or wrote for other artists could be mistaken for Bowie songs, imo. He was a \*great \* producer for Lou, Iggy, Mott the Hoople, et. al but he left a very distinctive stamp on the songs he was involved with. Like, maybe, too distinctive (?) I’m thinking of "All the Young Dudes, " the chorus. . . hell, even Ian Hunter’s phrasing on the \*verses \* is Bowie-ish. I loves teh Bowie. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2006, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/55 "2006-04-08T14:21:39Z")
In that vein, the songs Bob Dylan wrote for others have a very distinct Dylan stamp on them as well. In fact, on a couple written for, say, the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix, it sounds like he made a demo tape for them and they ended up singing it just like Bob! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2006, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/56 "2006-04-08T14:25:33Z")
> [@Little Bird](#): > > For _years_ I thought _What’s up_ was by Cher. It’s Four Non Blondes. Coulda swore it was Cher. Cher should hope for a voice like that. For a long time I thought _I’m Not In Love_ by 10CC was Paul McCartney. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2006, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/57 "2006-04-08T15:02:49Z")
I thought, for many, many years, that _Copacabana_ was a “Weird Al” Yankovic song… :smack: When I was younger, I also thought that _Crazy Little Thing Called Love_ was done by Elvis in his later years, and not by Queen… ---
**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 8, 2006, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/58 "2006-04-08T15:15:32Z")
> [@Martini Enfield](#): > > When I was younger, I also thought that _Crazy Little Thing Called Love_ was done by Elvis in his later years, and not by Queen… Seconded. Freddy was definitely channeling Pelvis on that song. ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/59 "2006-04-08T16:21:37Z")
> [@eveanyn](#): > > Well, I just learned today that A Horse with no Name was not sung by Neil Young. Yeah, I thought the same thing until I got in a fight with my boss about it. He said it was America, and he is one of those people who always has to be right, so I didn’t believe him until I googled it. I’d been hearing that song since birth and I would have swore on anything it was Neil Young. ---
**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 8, 2006, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726/60 "2006-04-08T16:30:13Z")
> [@Martini Enfield](#): > > IWhen I was younger, I also thought that _Crazy Little Thing Called Love_ was done by Elvis in his later years, and not by Queen… Uh, it was? I guess you learn something new every day… :smack: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-would-swear-were-done-by-someone-else/351726.md?page=4)