# Stop massacring our songs! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 21, 2004, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318 "2004-09-21T13:21:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318/41 "2004-09-22T20:24:32Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Yeah, I hate it when a singer sings a song they didn’t write. It’s just like when an actor performs dialogue they didn’t write. Doesn’t that just piss you off? I don’t think that’s really the point that’s being made here. It’s not the fact that these items are being covered, it’s that they’re being covered by a shitty artist shittily. It’d be like Keanu Reeves wanting to remake **Citizen Kane**. It’s not the fact that Keanu didn’t write the movie, it’s that he’s a pisspoor actor and it would ruin what was a classic. (Or, for a real example, Vince Vaughn in **Psycho**.) ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318/42 "2004-09-22T20:25:00Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Yeah, I hate it when a singer sings a song they didn’t write. It’s just like when an actor performs dialogue they didn’t write. Doesn’t that just piss you off? _snicker_ ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318/43 "2004-09-23T01:11:48Z")
This would be a good place to ask this - I used to love a cover of “Money (That’s What I Want)” which was performed by a band of three young Asian women. They spoke the lyrics with a slight Japanese accent, and used what sounded like a coke bottle for the drum beat. IIRC they had another similar song where they sang “Yeah! Uh-Huh!” while riding on the back of a speedboat. Both songs were hilarious in an off-beat kinda way, but I can never remember the name of the band. Anybody remember this group? They were definitely a Japanese import, and weren’t around very long. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318/44 "2004-09-23T01:19:48Z")
> [@Dooku](#): > > This would be a good place to ask this - I used to love a cover of “Money (That’s What I Want)” which was performed by a band of three young Asian women. They spoke the lyrics with a slight Japanese accent, and used what sounded like a coke bottle for the drum beat. IIRC they had another similar song where they sang “Yeah! Uh-Huh!” while riding on the back of a speedboat. Both songs were hilarious in an off-beat kinda way, but I can never remember the name of the band. > > Anybody remember this group? They were definitely a Japanese import, and weren’t around very long. Don’t know one by a Japanese import - the best surreal version of that song I know is from the '80’s and was by the Flying Lizards - the vocals were delivered by a British woman affecting a spoiled, posh accent, and the total production costs for the song were about $14. Great cover. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318/45 "2004-09-23T01:41:13Z")
Sadly, not the Flaming Lizards - I know that album. These were definitely Asian girls. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318/46 "2004-09-23T01:41:27Z")
> [@Dooku](#): > > This would be a good place to ask this - I used to love a cover of “Money (That’s What I Want)” which was performed by a band of three young Asian women. They spoke the lyrics with a slight Japanese accent, and used what sounded like a coke bottle for the drum beat. IIRC they had another similar song where they sang “Yeah! Uh-Huh!” while riding on the back of a speedboat. Both songs were hilarious in an off-beat kinda way, but I can never remember the name of the band. > > Anybody remember this group? They were definitely a Japanese import, and weren’t around very long. Could it have been Shonen Knife? ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318/47 "2004-09-23T02:02:37Z")
I don’t think it’s Shonen Knife. I listened to some of their clips and they sound too Rock N’ Roll and well-produced. This was more like a deliberately humorous riff on the fact that they didn’t speak English very well, and not very well-done songs at that. The coke bottle-drums were very distinctive. (“I want money…\ \…that’s what I want…\ \”) ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318/48 "2004-09-23T02:30:03Z")
Dooku, maybe Cibo Matto or Pizzicato Five? ---
**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:** [September 23, 2004, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318/49 "2004-09-23T02:30:41Z")
I HATE IZ’s cover of “Over the Rainbow”, which attitude is apparently some sort of heresy from the reactions I get. I’m sorry, but it sounds like someone’s doing a bad karaoke version and not watching the screen for the right lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318/50 "2004-09-23T03:19:54Z")
> [@Dooku](#): > > I don’t think it’s Shonen Knife. I listened to some of their clips and they sound too Rock N’ Roll and well-produced. This was more like a deliberately humorous riff on the fact that they didn’t speak English very well, and not very well-done songs at that. The coke bottle-drums were very distinctive. (“I want money…\ \…that’s what I want…\ \”) My roommate, who is into all sorts of crazy Japanese music, said that Shonen Knife certainly has their share of “crappy stuff” (her words). So it might still be them. Not like I’d know, though. She also seconds the possibility of it being Cibo Matto, and says she’ll keep her eyes out for anything resembling the _Money_ cover. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318/51 "2004-09-23T03:33:18Z")
More good covers: “Blackbird”-Sarah McLachlan (which I’m listening to right now) “Yesterday”-Boyz II Men (beautiful a capella version) “One Less Bell to Answer” -Sheryl Crow (done for a tribute to Burt Bacharach) ---
**Author:** ![sprocketboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@sprocketboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sprocketboy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318/52 "2004-09-23T04:18:15Z")
I thought the Frente “bizarre love triangle” was lovely. Apart from anything else it was suitably different from the original to make it worthwhile. The Slits’ version of “I heard it through the grapevine” is good. Toots and the Maytals’ version of “Country Roads” was quite good too. ---
**Author:** ![fallapart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fallapart/32/3018_2.png) [@fallapart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fallapart)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318/53 "2004-09-23T09:14:26Z")
I just wanted to add that Michael Hedges’ cover of “All Along the Watch Tower” is just fantastic IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![six\_personalities](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@six\_personalities](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/six_personalities)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318/54 "2004-09-23T09:37:56Z")
> [@Ferret Herder](#): > > Actually, I do like that. It gets some play on the local hard rock station here in Chicago. > Ah, you mean like Nirvana’s “The Man Who Sold the World”, with people not knowing that David Bowie sung it first. (I happen to like the remake of this one, too.) Yep or thinking that Boyzone sang the original ‘When The Going Gets Tough’ or Westlife were the first to do ‘Seasons in the Sun’ or ‘Against All Odds’ ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318/55 "2004-09-23T12:20:15Z")
Another great cover by **Metallica** – ‘Tuesday’s Gone’ by Lynyrd Skynyrd (again). On the Garage Inc. album. One of my favs, lots of good covers on that one. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318/56 "2004-09-23T13:11:22Z")
I think covers are always worth trying. Even if they’re done poorly at least the band involved is experimenting. If they don’t pull it off they don’t and little harm done. That said, Dolly Parton’s cover of Collective Souls ‘Shine’ is brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318/57 "2004-09-23T13:53:38Z")
Eric Clapton doing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318/58 "2004-09-23T18:44:47Z")
Thanks for the help guys - it’s neither Cibo Matto nor Pizzicato Five unfortunately. I’ve listened to all of their stuff. This was actually a rather popular song in about '96 or so. I’m surprised no one else remembers what I’m talking about, but it’s hard to describe with words. I’ve hijacked this thread enough with it, moving on. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318/59 "2004-09-23T19:53:53Z")
How about some good covers? I’m really impressed with Rush’s latest, “Feedback”. Having never recorded cover songs before, they decided it would be fun for their 30th anniversary to record some. They picked songs from 1966-67, when they were 13-14 years old and just learning to play their instruments. The songs are: Summertime Blues (The Who version, I think) Heart Full of Soul For What It’s Worth The Seeker Mr. Soul Seven and Seven Is Shapes of Things Crossroads Excellent, excellent stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318/60 "2004-09-24T02:02:32Z")
I forgot to mention that Sarah McLachlan also sang “The Rainbow Connection” for a “kids songs” collection. I love it, it’s gorgeous. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-massacring-our-songs/265318.md?page=2)