Cover songs that in your opinion are better than the original

[baileyn45]

 

[Cecilie1200]

Actually, the cover I'm listening to and loving right now is Disturbed, "The Sound of Silence". I always loved the original, by Simon and Garfunkel, but I always thought it, particularly the vocals, were very shallow and thin.

Although I've always liked Disturbed, I hadn't even realized that the lead singer, David Draiman, could even sing, let alone that he had such a gorgeous, rich voice. Their cover is everything "Sound of Silence" should be: melancholy, haunting, and powerful.



Here's the original.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Without the original how could we come to appreciate the cover? Please don't make me choose.

 

[Zoom-boing]

 

[ChrisL]

Without the original how could we come to appreciate the cover? Please don't make me choose.

Definitely the original, IMO.

 

[JOSweetHeart]

Waylon Jennings did this song first, but I love how Billy Joe sings it so much.



God bless you and his family always!!!

Holly

 

[ChrisL]

 

[QuickHitCurepon]

Ricky Lee Robinson makes this song by David Dundas come alive IMO.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Actually, the cover I'm listening to and loving right now is Disturbed, "The Sound of Silence". I always loved the original, by Simon and Garfunkel, but I always thought it, particularly the vocals, were very shallow and thin.

Although I've always liked Disturbed, I hadn't even realized that the lead singer, David Draiman, could even sing, let alone that he had such a gorgeous, rich voice. Their cover is everything "Sound of Silence" should be: melancholy, haunting, and powerful.



Here's the original.

While I agree with the analysis of the original and cover of this song, I feel that it is skewed partially by the VIDEO. While listening to the original I play my own video of the first time I heard the song, Sitting in a movie theater in 1968. The circumstances that lead me to even see the movie. The people I was with. The smell of the popcorn. Beating feet out to buy the album so I could hear the song again.

I appreciate what a song can do for me. The lyrics, intently listening to the soul of the music. I know this will probably be poo-pooed by some but something was lost with the advent of the music video. I lean to older classic Rock and Country so I have my own videos I play with out having to look at a screen.

The Video of the cover of this tune was very powerful and in its own right was something to behold.

Just the ramblings of a man who is getting older with each passing day...

 

[Owsi68]

My Way by Frank Sinatra
YouTube

A Mi Manera (My Way) By The Gipsy Kings
YouTube

I think I first heard the latter on an episode of Breaking Bad

 

[Owsi68]

This is a combo of 2 originals that were remade into one cover.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Judy Garland
YouTube

AND ...

What A Wonderful World.by Louis Armstrong
YouTube

Became this cover version ...

Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World by "Iz", Israel Kamakawaiwo'Ole
YouTube

 

[Cecilie1200]

Actually, the cover I'm listening to and loving right now is Disturbed, "The Sound of Silence". I always loved the original, by Simon and Garfunkel, but I always thought it, particularly the vocals, were very shallow and thin.

Although I've always liked Disturbed, I hadn't even realized that the lead singer, David Draiman, could even sing, let alone that he had such a gorgeous, rich voice. Their cover is everything "Sound of Silence" should be: melancholy, haunting, and powerful.



Here's the original.

While I agree with the analysis of the original and cover of this song, I feel that it is skewed partially by the VIDEO. While listening to the original I play my own video of the first time I heard the song, Sitting in a movie theater in 1968. The circumstances that lead me to even see the movie. The people I was with. The smell of the popcorn. Beating feet out to buy the album so I could hear the song again.

I appreciate what a song can do for me. The lyrics, intently listening to the soul of the music. I know this will probably be poo-pooed by some but something was lost with the advent of the music video. I lean to older classic Rock and Country so I have my own videos I play with out having to look at a screen.

The Video of the cover of this tune was very powerful and in its own right was something to behold.

Just the ramblings of a man who is getting older with each passing day...

I actually very rarely watch the video. Although I gotta admit, it's also incredibly haunting and powerful.

You're not wrong about the impact of memory and associations that go with music. As it happens, most of my life has been rather dark and melancholy, but the darkest parts of my life have happened to a soundtrack of various Disturbed songs, so there's that. David Draiman's voice - although not usually in this lyrical form - has brought expression to a lot of those things for me, so it's almost like his cover of "Sound of Silence" is the adult version of what Simon & Garfunkel's version was to me in my adolescence.

 

[konradv]

Pearl Jam- You've Got to Hide Your Love Away

 

[JOSweetHeart]

Yesterday, I learned that the late beautiful precious was not the first person to sing this song, but in my opinion, no one can "clean house" like him!!! CRANK IT UP!!!



God bless you and his family always!!!

Holly

P.S. Ricky Nelson was the first person to sing this song and to me, his rendition is way too slow.

 

[turtledude]

sort of a cover since the JGB and the Grateful Dead are the versions most people know but Robert Hunter wrote the lyrics. His version has two additional stanzas that really make the song more sensible and hauntingly beautiful







Cerise was brushing her long hair gently down
It was the afternoon of Carnival
As she brushes it gently down

Reuben was strumming his painted mandolin
It was enlaid with a pretty face in jade
Played the Carnival Parade

Cerise was dressing as Pirouette in white
When a fatal vision gripped her tight
Cerise, beware tonight

Reuben, Reuben, tell me truly true
I feel afraid and I don't know why I do
Is there another girl for you

If you could see in my heart
You would know it's true
There is none, Cerise, except for you
Except for you
Reuben swear to it on your very soul
If you lie may you fall down cold

When Reuben played on his painted mandolin
The breeze would stop and listen in
Before going its way again

Masquerade began when nightfall finally woke
Like waves against the bandstand dancers broke
To the painted mandolin

Looking out on the crowd, who is standing there?
Sweet Ruby Claire at Reuben stared
At Reuben stared
She was dressed as Pirouette in red
And her hair hung gently down

The crowd pressed round, Ruby stood as though alone
Reuben's song took on a different tone
And he played it just for her

The song that he played was the Carnival Parade
Each note cut a thread of Cerise's fate
It cut through like a blade

The voice of Cerise from the face of the mandolin
Singing Reuben, Reuben, tell me true
For I have no one but you
If you could see in my heart
You would know it's true
There is none, Cerise, except for you
Except for you
Reuben swear to it on your very soul
If You lie may you fall down cold.

Ahoy, old ferryman, riverboat of Charon ride
Though alive, take Reuben to the other side
For his sweet Cerise has died

It's a long lonely walk from Hell to the burying ground
Cerise may return but don't you look around
For your glance would cut her down

The truth of love an unsung song must tell
The course of love must follow blind
Reuben looked behind

Reuben walked the streets of New Orleans till dawn
With The Ghost of Cerise in his empty arms
And her hair hung gently down

 

[Alan Stallion]

"You Better Run"

Original by The Young Rascals


Cover by Pat Benatar

 

[Alan Stallion]

Respect

Original by Otis Redding


Cover by Aretha Franklin

 

[Alan Stallion]

Good Lovin'

Original by Lemme B. Good


Covered by The Olympics and cracked the Top 100. Then it was covered by The Young Rascals and hit #1

 

[Alan Stallion]

Elvira

Original by Dallas Frazier


Cover by the Oak Ridge Boys

 

[Alan Stallion]

I Want Candy

Original by The Strangeloves


Cover by Bow Wow Wow