# Wait, that's a cover song?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 6, 2012, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575 "2012-01-06T01:19:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575/41 "2012-01-07T00:50:17Z")
The one that surprised me was “Seasons In The Sun” originally being a Belgian art song. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_Next\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@Girl\_Next\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_Next_Door)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575/42 "2012-01-07T01:00:47Z")
“I Want Candy” was originally recorded by The Strangeloves (_not_ Bow Wow Wow). ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575/43 "2012-01-07T01:15:27Z")
It’s My Life, No Doubt. (Talk Talk). ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575/44 "2012-01-07T01:19:44Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > I’m surprised too! And I really like(d) that song as well. I just realized that I made it sound like I don’t like it anymore. I do! 😛 In fact, I like both versions. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575/45 "2012-01-07T01:43:30Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > The one that surprised me was “Seasons In The Sun” originally being a Belgian art song. I came here to mention the prolific, talented and heartbreaking work of Jacques Brel. I’ve often ranted about ill-translated covers of his work. Rod McKuen’s adaptation of _Le Moribund_ - a [satire](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad6m3OBSLoE) where a dying man ironically praises those who have helped his wife’s infidelity - into Terry Jacks’s insipid, lovelorn ‘Seasons’ drives me a bit mad. Anyway, he is also the same singer/songwriter who gave us: _If You Go Away_ - Terry Jacks\* _The Port of Amsterdam_ - David Bowie _I’m Not Afraid_ - Frank Sinatra _I belong to your heart_ - Sam Cooke _Jacky/ie_ - The Divine Comedy/Scott Walker _If we only have love_ - Barry Manilow _La chanson des vieux amants_ - Alison Moyet And [dozens of others](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jacques_Brel_cover_versions). (Bonus Brel: [here’s](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlu1WeyR8k8) a fun, tragicomic song of his with subtitles that isn’t covered very often.) \*Another lame McKuen translation, turning a heart-wrenching plea that is so raw that his live performance is [almost painful to watch, but emotionally true](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za_6A0XnMyw), into a wistful hypothetical. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575/46 "2012-01-07T01:56:28Z")
Having never seen **Hair** , I thought _Frank Mills_ was a song by The Lemonheads. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575/47 "2012-01-07T02:05:49Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > Having never seen **Hair** , I thought _Frank Mills_ was a song by The Lemonheads. WHAT??? I had no idea. Man, one thing about buying CDs is that I never read liner notes anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_Next\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@Girl\_Next\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_Next_Door)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575/48 "2012-01-07T03:17:40Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > WHAT??? I had no idea. > > Man, one thing about buying CDs is that I never read liner notes anymore. Oh, I miss this so much. Remember opening an album, putting it on the turntable, kicking back into your beanbag and reading the liner notes (and lyrics) while you listened? _Sigh_. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575/49 "2012-01-07T07:48:59Z")
When **Sixpence None the Richer** came out with “There She Goes” I never heard of the original performers, **The La’s**. When **Orgy** did “Blue Monday” I didn’t know it was a **New Order** song. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575/50 "2012-01-07T14:38:47Z")
“You Ain’t Nothin’ But a Hound Dog” was originally recorded by a woman whose last name was Thornton. Also, a number of songs from “Godspell” had lyrics written by other people, including “Day by Day”, “All Good Gifts”, and “God Bless the People”. ---
**Author:** ![Lilacs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Lilacs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lilacs)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575/51 "2012-01-07T17:25:40Z")
I had always thought “Oye Como Va” was written by Santana. Until one day, I heard Tito Puente. I have both now and quite a few more of Tito’s arrangements. Thank you Carlos Santana! ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575/52 "2012-01-08T18:12:28Z")
> [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > “You Ain’t Nothin’ But a Hound Dog” was originally recorded by a woman whose last name was Thornton. . [Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Mama_Thornton) She also was the first to record “Ball and Chain,” later a hit for Janis Joplin. ---
**Author:** ![brocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@brocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brocks)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575/53 "2012-01-08T18:36:25Z")
William Shatner’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” was recorded earlier by the Byrds and Dylan. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575/54 "2012-01-08T18:38:37Z")
Did anyone think Shatner’s Mr Tamborine Man wasn’t a cover??? ---
**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:** [January 9, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575/55 "2012-01-09T01:18:54Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Did anyone think Shatner’s Mr Tamborine Man wasn’t a cover??? I suspect you’re being whooshed. ---
**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:** [January 9, 2012, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575/56 "2012-01-09T02:44:22Z")
I found this out only a few days ago when I was listening to Pandora. “There, I’ve Said It Again” by Bobby Vinton, which is about as white-bread as you can get, had been [recorded four years earlier by Sam Cooke](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if7Fk9q6GsU). However, not even Cooke’s version was the original one since the song had been recorded by other artists since the 1940s. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575/57 "2012-01-09T04:36:55Z")
“Without You” as sung by Nilsson and (horrors) Mariah Carey is a cover of a Badfinger song. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575/58 "2012-01-09T05:50:55Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > Having never seen **Hair** , I thought _Frank Mills_ was a song by The Lemonheads. Sometimes I have to remind myself how much younger most of you are. I bought the semi-original, Broadway, cast recording of “Hair” many years too late, but still before many of you were born. As is the case with too many of the examples you folks list. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575/59 "2012-01-09T06:38:37Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Sometimes I have to remind myself how much younger most of you are. I bought the semi-original, Broadway, cast recording of “Hair” many years too late, but still before many of you were born. As is the case with too many of the examples you folks list. > > ☹ Well, I’m not _that_ young. I’ve just never watched **Hair** or heard all the songs on the soundtrack. The main reason probably being that I don’t really like musicals. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575/60 "2012-01-09T06:40:51Z")
(psst! I gave you an out but you are letting your age show!) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-thats-a-cover-song/608575.md?page=4)