Things That Chafe Me
Cover versions where the cover artist gets the lyrics wrong. And I don't mean when they change the lyrics intentionally, I mean when the cover artist obliviously sings the wrong words.
Exhibit One in the Parade of Horrors: Nouvelle Vague does a version of the Smith's "Sweet and Tender Hooligan", a great song, and they fluff "In the midst of life we are in debt, etc." by singing "In the midst of life we are in death etc." Which would be a neat trick.
As for artists who sing the wrong words intentionally? I think that Linda Ronstadt has to be the worst offender. And her worst offense? That's a tough one. I think I'll nominate two songs.
(1) "After The Gold Rush" by Neil "Shakey" Young. Now this song just must be tough on cover artists, as the group Prelude back in 1974 covered this and changed the line "Look at Mother Nature on the run in the 1970s" by singing "Look at Mother Nature on the run in the 1917." I mean, that's just weird.
But what Frau Ronstadt sang was even worse. She substituted "and I felt like I could cry" for "and I felt like getting high." I mean, WHERE'S YOUR SENSE OF COMMITMENT? At least actually cry. Or get high. Or both.
(2) The more egregious example of song-neutering has to be in her recently released version of "Jesus Was A Cross-Maker" by the late, great Judee Sill. Now, Judee allegedly wrote this song about onetime paramour J.D. Souther back in 1971 or 1972, in the heyday of the Troubadour. And Linda covered it in the 90s sometime, I believe. Could be more recent. So in her infinite creative wisdom, she omits the title of the song from the song, and merely repeats the preceding line twice, as in:
"He's a bandit and a heartbreaker, He's a bandit and a heartbreaker" instead of "He's a bandit and a heartbreaker, oh my Jesus was a cross-maker."
Which renders the song nonsensical, as it tells the story of these two opposing forces, the man [or men] who have wronged our heroine, and the opposing force of good, Jesus. So, without the Jesus half of the song, I would think that the listener would be vastly confused.
But not Linda.
posted by Peevish @ 3:25 PM
3 Comments:
I had no idea Linda Ronstadt added JWACM to her endless list of brutal covers. Further irony: Ms.R. was also involved with J.D.Souther,proving he has catholicity of taste in women, if not in music, or hairstyles.
I always kind of liked the "1917" version of Goldrush, but it reminds me of Joanie Baez adding the definitive article to "Robert E. Lee " in her butchering of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" , like Mrs. Virgil Cain gets all excited by seeing a riverboat, instead of the sainted general.
The one that drives me nuts is Tesla's cover of Five Man Electrical Band's "Signs." The original has a line about a "fine, upstanding young man" but in Tesla's version, they've changed it to "fine, outstanding young man," which is just stupid.
"In the midst of life we are in death: of whom may we seek for succour, but of thee, O Lord, who for our sins art justly displeased? Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty, O holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death."
1662 Book of Common Prayer.
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