# Wow, that's a BAD cover of that song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [September 27, 2021, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415 "2021-09-27T02:20:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2021, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415/83 "2021-10-15T21:01:55Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > It’s not even obvious, at least at first, what it’s a cover of. See how long it takes you to guess. (Or, if you can’t be bothered, it’s Tangled Up In Blue.) I got it at the start of the first line. Musically, it’s not so abhorrent, but if these are the lyrics? ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2021, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415/84 "2021-10-16T19:07:32Z")
For some reason Jack White covers Dolly’s Jolene. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2021, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415/85 "2021-10-16T23:20:05Z")
I don’t know if this was supposed to be a parody, but it truly sucks. Killdozer doing “One Tin Soldier”. Not linking to it because the thumbnail shows a woman with a see-through top. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2021, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415/86 "2021-10-16T23:54:38Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > For some reason Jack White covers Dolly’s Jolene. At least one person disagrees that this is a BAD cover… > [https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/dolly-parton-once-had-this-to-say-about-the-white-stripes-powerful-cover-of-jolene.html/](https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/dolly-parton-once-had-this-to-say-about-the-white-stripes-powerful-cover-of-jolene.html/) > > The White Stripes’ version of the track struck a chord with Parton, who sang its praises in a 2016 interview with [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jul/12/dolly-parton-tour-hillary-clinton-lgbt-community), where she also talked about her fondness for singer-guitarist [Jack White](https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/jack-white-and-the-party-that-led-him-to-mandatory-anger-management.html/). > > “Well, I love him to death,” she said. “[The White Stripes] did one of the greatest versions ever of ‘Jolene.’” ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415/87 "2021-10-18T18:43:36Z")
Over in the [What song actually makes you shout NO! and change the station?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-actually-makes-you-shout-no-and-change-the-station/952172) thread, @BlankSlate made an astute observation regarding the OP: > Absolutely anyone singing freakin’ _Hallelujah._ It’s one of the most covered songs simply to add to my misery. There is a website called [Secondhandsongs](https://secondhandsongs.com/) on which one can search for covers. Which prompts the question, of all the awful versions of Halleluja, which is the worst? SHS lists 430 covers, ranging from people you have never heard of to names that strike fear into the heart. There’s no way I’m listening to that lot; _but wait_ - as soon as I had found the following, I knew my work was done. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/UcDYWAqMb64/maxresdefault.jpg "Hallelujah") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcDYWAqMb64) I’ll merely note that comments have been turned off. I can’t imagine why. j ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415/88 "2021-10-18T19:01:19Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > I’ll merely note that comments have been turned off. Yeah, I’m pretending mine are turned off, too. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415/89 "2021-10-18T19:04:31Z")
All covers of “Helter Skelter” are awful, but U2’s version from _Rattle and Hum_ stands out especially. It’s really not a good song to start with. It fit well with the White Album experimental aesthetics, but songs in the proto-punk genre tended to have short half-lives, and the Beatles didn’t have the street cred for that style anyway. I doubt many people would be talking about it today if Charles Manson hadn’t sensationalized it with his wacko ideology. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415/90 "2021-10-18T19:07:46Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > All covers of “Helter Skelter” are awful, but U2’s version from _Rattle and Hum_ stands out especially. “Here’s a song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles. We’ve stolen it back.” Yeah, Bono always has been a pretentious wanker. ---
**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:** [October 18, 2021, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415/91 "2021-10-18T21:50:55Z")
Groups that play that elevator shit shouldn’t be allowed to have the word “jazz” in their band names. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415/92 "2021-10-18T22:36:54Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > Disturbed’s SoS is a perfect example of a terrific (the positive kind) cover. Nothing beats the original, but still. Disagree. I like S&G just fine, but I never “got” Sound of Silence until I heard Disturbed do it. S&G delivered a melancholy song. Disturbed pulled me into the mind-blowing hopelessness it describes. Which is funny because I’m not otherwise a huge Disturbed fan. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415/93 "2021-10-18T22:39:28Z")
So, you agree wholeheartedly with the gist and motive of my reply. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415/94 "2021-10-18T22:40:26Z")
Agree. Just not with the last bit about nothing beating the original. Precision eludes me at times. Apologies. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415/95 "2021-10-18T22:42:36Z")
She’s entitled to her opinion 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2021, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415/96 "2021-10-19T12:28:59Z")
If you got the chance to tell Dolly why she’s so wrong, would that be…fansplaining? 🤔 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2021, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415/97 "2021-10-19T13:22:46Z")
I played myself. Not only do I have a persistent _Hallelujah_ earworm, I also managed to take the discussion into the offline world. A friend came up with this, which is not terrible, I guess: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/M5ORMgl_KPE/maxresdefault.jpg "Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah | Mennel Ibtissem | The Voice France 2018 | Blind Audition") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5ORMgl_KPE) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2021, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415/98 "2021-10-19T19:23:53Z")
Yeah, the Jack White/White Stripes cover of “Jolene” is pretty damned solid. I’m not sure what the critique of it could be – too theatrical, maybe? Jack White’s voice gets pretty expressive and soulful as the song progresses–the yearning and pain sound in earnest to me. Check out the live versions. It’s pretty killer (and I’m not a White Stripes fanboy, though I do like Jack White’s work for the most part.) Man, that cover of “Senses Working Overtime” I just stumbled on a couple hours ago today while perusing this thread. Oh my Lord. I mean, they certainly didn’t make a slavish cover of the original, but none of the aesthetic choices could I understand. The arrangement is not cohesive; there’s no flow to the song as it transitions from part to part; for some reason, there’s gratuitous scratching that really adds nothing to the song. Its mere existence is a tick in the column of “if there is a God, it’s not a benevolent one.” ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415/99 "2021-10-22T10:59:02Z")
How much soul can you suck out of one song? Original: [Ketty Lester - Love Letters - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txahSHR2Jb8) One of many atrocious covers: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/c9oMhmpn4OM/maxresdefault.jpg "Perry Como Show “Love Letters” (Straight From Your Heart) 1956 [HD-Remastered TV Audio]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9oMhmpn4OM) ---
**Author:** ![Chad\_Sudan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chad_sudan/32/4509_2.png) [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415/100 "2021-10-22T11:58:58Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > > [@Smapti](#): > > > > Steve Miller’s cover of Jet Airliner might be the version most people know, but IMO it’s a piss-poor imitation of Paul Pena’s original. > > I also did not know Jet Airliner was a cover, and was very impressed by [Pena’s original](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjr5U7g6aiA&list=RDCjr5U7g6aiA&start_radio=1) What a gem! Now I want to listen to the whole album! Thanks to @Smapti and @Baal_Houtham for pointing out the original song. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415/101 "2021-10-22T13:20:36Z")
I give you… This tropical house cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.” Brace yourselves: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/w37EFJceMSU/maxresdefault.jpg "Jonas Blue - Fast Car (Lyrics) ft. Dakota") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w37EFJceMSU) ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415/102 "2021-10-22T13:25:07Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > All covers of “Helter Skelter” are awful, but U2’s version from _Rattle and Hum_ stands out especially. I don’t mind Hüsker Dü’s cover as it’s wonderfully shambolic, but I agree that U2’s is abysmal. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIuI_0qo8Fk) For all his various crimes against music, Falco also deserves a special spot in hell for this Dylan cover: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/vQ8hWygg0zs/maxresdefault.jpg "Falco - It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (10. Donauinselfest 1993)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ8hWygg0zs) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-thats-a-bad-cover-of-that-song/951415.md?page=6)