MetaChat - This is a thread in which we post covers that we prefer to the original songs

Love Leonard Cohen but I like Judy Collins' cover of his "Suzanne" better than his original, and both Jeff Buckley and k.d. lang's covers of his "Hallelujah" far better than the original.

And I like Eva Cassidy's version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" better than Garland's.

And I prefer Eric Clapton's unplugged cover of his rock version of "Layla" too.

posted by bearwife 22 July | 13:53

I like Daniel Johnston's cover of I saw her standing there better than the original

posted by rmless2 22 July | 14:05

You've Got the Love. Although she could cover almost anything and I'd probably like it better than the original.

posted by weretable and the undead chairs 22 July | 14:14

I love Will Downing's version of the Deniece Williams song, Free.

And Etta James' version of Take It To The Limit, in a gospel style, is amazing. I once saw her perform this on TV backed by a full gospel choir. Stunning.

posted by Senyar 22 July | 14:15

bearwife, I love Eva Cassidy's version of Songbird, better than Fleetwood Mac's. But hearing it always makes me cry, because it was one of 'our' songs, George and me. We always said we would play it at our wedding.

posted by Senyar 22 July | 14:17

Ted Leo's cover of Since U Been Gone (with a Yeah Yeah Yeahs song mixed in too). I suppose it's gimmicky to cover Kelly Clarkson, but I like the original too.

posted by mullacc 22 July | 14:19

Senyar, it makes me cry because it encapsulates how gifted she was and how terrible I feel that she died so young. And I'm so sorry you didn't get to play it at your wedding.

Speaking of wonderful Eva Cassidy covers, I'd add her Fields of Gold (though I love Sting's original too), Autumn Leaves, and The Water is Wide.

posted by bearwife 22 July | 14:23

One of the annoying things about getting older is discovering that some of your favorite songs of your youth are being covered. And then later, discovering that those exact songs from your youth were covers of someone previously.

"The Boy from New York City" by Manhattan Transfer in 1980 (original by The Ad Libs in 1965) made me happy all those years ago.

Ooh, Senyar, thanks so much for the Etta James song! Love it.

posted by Melismata 22 July | 14:32

Lou Reed's Sweet Jane by the Cowboy Junkies

Dylan's Wicked Messenger by The Black Keys

Springsteen's "Racing in the Streets" by Emmylou Harris

Maybe not better but I like Joe Grushecky's take on The Clash's Magnificent Seven

posted by octothorpe 22 July | 14:58

Possibly blasphemy, but I prefer the Alien Ant Farm version of Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal.

Also, I lovelovelove the Be Good Tanyas cover of Neil Young's song For the Turnstiles.

posted by workerant 22 July | 14:59

Most Bowie. (Life On Mars by Anggun. Starman by Dar Williams. Seu Jorge.)

I prefer the original Boy From New York City, but I was raised on that genre. I do quite like the AAF Smooth Criminal.

I wouldn't say I prefer it, persay, but there is an awesome cover of "This Land Is Your Land" by Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings that I just stuck on my Mefi swap CD.

posted by maryr 22 July | 15:27

U2's cover of Patti Smith's "Dancing Barefoot".

posted by brujita 22 July | 15:39

Wow. I was actually thinking about this very thing today.

The Dictators' version of California Sun.
DEVO's version of Satisfaction. Even when I hear the Stones' version, I automatically sing along in my head ala DEVO.

posted by Thorzdad 22 July | 15:58

Ex-Girl's cover of Pop Musik by M

posted by The Whelk 22 July | 16:07

Oooh, this is great... I love a good cover, but one that surpasses the original is even better. Some I can think of off the top of my head:

Cee Lo Green's "No One's Gonna Love You" (orig. by Band of Horses)
Marc Almond's "Like A Prayer" (orig. by Madonna)
Bryan Ferry's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" (orig. by Dylan)
Sinead O'Connor's "Ode To Billy Joe" (orig. by Bobbie Gentry)
The Butthole Surfers' "The Hurdy-Gurdy Man" (orig. by Donovan)
...and Sonic Youth have done TWO: "Superstar" (orig. by the Carpenters) and "Is It My Body" (orig. by Alice Cooper)

posted by BoringPostcards 22 July | 16:22

Lydia Lunch and J.G. "Foetus" Thirlwell doing "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?"

Laibach doing "Jesus Christ Superstar."

posted by infinitywaltz 22 July | 16:33

Here are a couple of interesting web sites which are on topic.

I also love Crooked Still's cover of Johnny Cash's Ain't No Grave.

posted by bearwife 22 July | 16:51

Thorzdad, I'm with you on Devo's "Satisfaction".

Off the top of my head here are a few that instantly came to mind:

Jon Auer of the Posies does a killer version of Madonna's "Beautiful Stranger" that to me surpassed the original.

Punk covers of 60's hits are a dime a dozen, but one of my favorites is MIA's take on "California Dreaming". I genuinely love the original, but this is the one that gets more plays from me.

One of the ultimate examples is Nilsson's ownership of Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin".

And following up on Boring Postcards' Sonic Youth twofer (and my Madonna mention above) - I absolutely love Ciccone Youth's "Into the Groove(y)".

I love the Move's "California Man", but in my heart it's a Cheap Trick song.

And here's a toughie for me. the English Beat's "Save It For Later" is one of my all time faves, but I absolutely adore Pete Townshend's version. I'll call this one a draw.

I'm sure over the next few hours I'll keep coming up with more examples.

posted by Slack-a-gogo 22 July | 16:56

I adore Liza Minnelli's interpretation of 'Rent' by the Pet Shop Boys. She really gets the sadness of the lyric and the orchestration is fabulous.

posted by Senyar 22 July | 17:05

I prefer Whiskey in The Jar by Metallica to all other versions. Please don't kill me.

posted by Splunge 22 July | 17:14

I love Me First and the Gimme Gimme's rendition of "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina". I really enjoy Sinead O'Connor's version of "All Apologies".

I have more, just have to think of them.

posted by Luminous Phenomena 22 July | 17:22

I vastly prefer Song to the Siren as done by This Mortal Coil to the original. Actually, the same is true of all their covers, although some are still pretty silly as done by This Mortal Coil (Jeweler, Kangaroo, I'm looking at you!)

Also prefer Ministry's version of Lay Lady Lay to Bob Dylan's.

posted by crush-onastick 22 July | 18:24

I prefer everyone's covers of Dylan songs to Dylan's own versions. I'm one of that group that can't take Dylan's voice but love what he wrote.

posted by bearwife 22 July | 18:28

me too, bearwife, but I don't recognize most covers of his songs, since I kind of avoid his songs.

posted by crush-onastick 22 July | 19:38

The Pixies did a pretty incredible cover of Madonna's Material Girl

posted by apoch 22 July | 20:04

Devo's "Satisfaction" was always somehow more convincing.

James' "So Long Marianne".

Blackstrap's "St. James Infirmary Blues"

Thea Gilmore's "Cover Me".

posted by phlogiston 22 July | 20:49

I like Ciccone Youth versions of Madonna songs. I slightly prefer Stevie Wonder's 'Blowin' in the Wind.'

And there are a bunch of dub reggae songs I prefer to the originals, and some dj mixes that are greater than the sum of their parts.

posted by box 22 July | 22:09

John Frusciante covered "Song to the Siren" too, crush-onastick. I love his version.

I'm kind of embarrassed that in high school I did not know that the Smashing Pumpkins' version of "Landslide" wasn't the original. It was years before I learned it was a cover of Stevie Nicks.

posted by fancyoats 23 July | 08:17

As I start this sentence, I prefer Siouxsie and the Banshees' cover of Iggy and the Stooges' "The Passenger" but a cursory search uncovers this, and I wail for my misspent youth.

I hesitate to test two other favorites, Paul Young's "Come Back and Stay" and Blondie's "Hanging on the Telephone." What if I no longer prefer them to Jack Lee and The Nerves?

Woe is me! They're all great!

posted by Hugh Janus 23 July | 09:54

This is a fun little interpretation of Bohemian Rhapsody.

posted by Doohickie 23 July | 12:12

Obadiah Parker's cover of Hey Ya.

Also, I'm a big American Idol fan (no, really!) and since those are all pretty much covers...

Blake Lewis' You Give Love a Bad Name Not necessarily better, but still pretty cool.

David Cook's Little Sparrow and Billie Jean which is a cover of a cover - Chris Cornell's version

Adam Lambert's Tracks of My Tears. His Mad World (also a cover of a cover - Gary Jules) got the press at the time, but I think Tracks of My Tears is just as good.

posted by booksherpa 23 July | 13:41

The Jeff Healey Band's cover of "When The Night Comes Falling From The Sky"

Sixpence None The Richer's version of "There She Goes"

Nicki French's dance version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart"

Fiona Apple's version of "Across The Universe".

The Bangles' "September Gurls" and "Going Down To Liverpool"

10,000 Maniacs cover of Cat Stevens' "Peace Train"

The Ramones' version of "Do You Wanna Dance"

posted by Trurl 23 July | 20:30

I hesitate to test two other favorites, Paul Young's "Come Back and Stay" and Blondie's "Hanging on the Telephone."

I've loved both of those for decades and had no idea either was a cover.

posted by Trurl 23 July | 20:36

22 July 2011