# What Song would you cover if you actually had talent? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 26, 2003, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089 "2003-07-26T14:32:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089/1 "2003-07-26T14:32:11Z")
After reading here about Mariah Carey covering a Def Leopard song, I started thinking about what song(s) I would want to try to cover. The first one I thought of was: **I will always love you** By Whitney Houston. Done in punk style of screaming into the microphone. ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089/2 "2003-07-26T14:36:56Z")
What a great question! If only I could sing! Jennifer Holliday’s **And I Am Telling You** (I think that’s what it’s called) from _Dreamgirls_! ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089/3 "2003-07-26T14:37:55Z")
I want to do a death metal cover of Hall & Oates “Maneater”. It’s such an awful song that there’s no way I could make it worse. I can do the vocals, but I don’t have a band, so no dice. ---
**Author:** ![acrossthesea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@acrossthesea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/acrossthesea)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089/4 "2003-07-26T15:01:43Z")
Hmm…I’ve often thought about this. I’ve been trying to get a band going for years with no luck yet. : ( Maybe while I’m here, everyone around here wants to be in a band it seems. But anyway, I’d want to cover: “Girls Just Want To have Fun” - Cyndi Lauper (I was about 4 when that song came out and loved it back then) “A Hard Day’s Night” - The Beatles “Island in the Sun” - Weezer (because it’s a fun song) Me and a friend did a sort of joke version of Hole’s “Garbageman” a few years ago that actually turned out ok. I didn’t know I could scream like that! I don’t have the tape anymore and I don’t think she does either, oh well. I always wanted to cover the Eurythmic’s “Sweet Dreams” but Marilyn Manson beat me to it a bunch of years ago. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089/5 "2003-07-26T15:04:11Z")
I’ve always fantasised about doing a techno house and hip-hop version of Jesus Christ Superstar. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089/6 "2003-07-26T15:12:52Z")
Frank Sinatra singing the Nelson Riddle arrangement of _I’ve Got You Under My Skin_. There is no other song! Well, there’s also _The Summer Wind_, isn’t there? ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089/7 "2003-07-26T15:22:39Z")
I’d sing, perform, and arrange a male vocal version of Rufus And Shaka Khan’s _Sweet Thing._ ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089/8 "2003-07-26T16:50:13Z")
For some reason, I’ve always had a soft spot for **Yazoo** ’s _Only You_. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089/9 "2003-07-26T16:53:30Z")
“Sympathy for the Devil”, of course. 🙂 No other option for an amoral young man like myself. Oh, and maybe “Dirty Deeds”. ---
**Author:** ![Bugnorton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bugnorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bugnorton)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089/10 "2003-07-26T17:14:49Z")
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, absolutely my hands down pick Second pick is Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” ---
**Author:** ![Tree\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9dc877/32.png) [@Tree\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tree_Boy)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089/11 "2003-07-26T17:29:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bugnorton \* > **"Somewhere Over the Rainbow", absolutely my hands down pick** Me First and the Gimme Gimme’s just did a punk version a few years ago. In college I played with a group of guys and we did nothing but acoustic covers of rock songs. By far our best translation was November Rain by Guns and Roses. It is the only one I prefer our sound to the original. ---
**Author:** ![whistlepig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/73ab20/32.png) [@whistlepig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whistlepig)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089/12 "2003-07-26T18:13:32Z")
Playing the drums on “Wipeout” ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089/13 "2003-07-26T18:45:48Z")
“Up The Down Escalator” by the Chameleons. It’s just such a great song, and seems like it would be easy enough to do without making a mess of it. ---
**Author:** ![WadeG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d26b3c/32.png) [@WadeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WadeG)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089/14 "2003-07-26T18:51:18Z")
“Rockin’ Girls” or “Eaten By the Monster of Love,” both by Sparks. And “Runaround Sue” by Dion. This may have something to do with why I’m not in a band. ---
**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:** [July 26, 2003, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089/15 "2003-07-26T19:14:32Z")
“All The Way” “Stormy Weather” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089/16 "2003-07-26T19:50:26Z")
If I had singing talent? Pretty much everything. I’ve discovered that I like singing a lot, I just can’t find a lot of songs I do well. That’s what you call a conflict of interest. 😛 Probably more Radiohead, since Thom Yorke is a tenor and sings so much higher than I can. There’s not a lot of rock stuff written for guys who sound like me, but most of it’s easier to do that THAT. ---
**Author:** ![look\_ninjas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@look\_ninjas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_ninjas)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089/17 "2003-07-26T23:37:15Z")
I can’t pick just one. But my current favorite singing in the car song is “Gloomy Sunday.” It’s just a tad high for me, though. ---
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089/18 "2003-07-27T00:06:08Z")
“I Can’t Stand the Rain” - heard an amazing version done by an a capella group in college, have wanted to sing it since. “Once Upon a Dream (from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty)” - I know, sounds strange, but I’ve always thought of doing it with a punchier beat. Susan ---
**Author:** ![moejuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@moejuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejuck)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089/19 "2003-07-27T00:16:47Z")
Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden. Chris Cornell’s vocals are unbelievable. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089/20 "2003-07-27T00:28:07Z")
This is from a wannabe guitarist’s perspective, if I had the talent I’d play… Hocus Pocus - Focus Hey Lawdy Mama - by Steppenwolf has some amazing guitar work! Star Spangled Banner - Jimi Hendrix Eruption - Eddie VanHalen Killing Floor - Jimi Hendrix 😉 Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-would-you-cover-if-you-actually-had-talent/191089.md?page=2)