I know I’ve been gone for awhile over the break but like I said my keyboard is broken. Today’s discussion got me thinking about covers, versions and parodies of various pieces of music. I really wish my keyboard still worked properly because then I could blog more easily but alas.
The first example I wanted to expose you to is one that I enjoy thoroughly. Bitches Ain’t Shit by Ben Folds. I was first introduced to this song by my freshman roommate who is in the best sense of the word a hippie. Ben Folds essentially does folk Indi music. For those of you who have never heard of him if you have seen Over the Hedge Folds does the entire soundtrack. Bitches Ain’t Shit is originally a Dr. Dre song. Folds does the song in the style of his own music. Now in my opinion the songs do have different meaning due to being different songs—as we discussed in class. Of course, this is entirely my opinion but I feel the original version is vile, disgusting, rude, crude, and lacking any socio-politically redeeming value. I find Folds version to be funny and fun, satirical (obviously), entertaining, and a statement on not all but certain types of rap. Now I am not demonizing Dre or praising Folds and I am not necessarily saying that the things I said about Dre’s version are bad things—some people enjoy the rude and the like. So what do you think? Do you think style can change the intent of the lyrics so greatly. I can say that Folds version is more “musical” in the sense that Folds actually is singing the whole time and there are instruments being played. I am of course referencing the Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me episode I linked in a previous blog.
Dre’s Version:
Folds’ Version:
A similar situation would Down With the Sickness, originally by Disturbed. The jazz singer Richard Cheese does his own jazz cover of the song. But I don’t think that the Disturbed version is all that bad.
Next, there is the matter of the song You Spin Me Round by Dead or Alive. This song is about a person seeing someone at a club and instantly being filled with lust and desire. I’m not going to sugar coat it—even though I hate the new version of the song—the singer wants to take this person home for sex however the singer does admit to falling in love with the person at the sight of them in the club. So there is a subtext of sex but overtones of love stipulated in the lyrics.
You Spin Me Round by Dead or Alive:
The remake You Spin my Head Right Round is by Flo Rida and its meaning is simple and clear: oral sex. That’s it. Oral sex.
A song that’s meaning isn’t lost in one of its reinterpretations is the Dusty Springfield song Only Want to be With You.
Dusty Springfield:
Then there is the relatively recent Metal version of the song that I actually really, really like and enjoy and I am not a big fan of Metal. I am very particular about the Metal I like. The band is called Volbeat.
I also wanted to talk about two songs that have been remade countless times; so many times, in fact there is probably a version for every genre of music: Mad World and Video Killed the Radio Star. Just YouTube them and you will see what I mean. I absolutely love these songs and all of their various versions, covers, and parodies. The reason I love all the versions is I have yet to come across a version that did not do the originals message justice. Now I am all for creativity and improvisation but some classics should not be messed\with such as Mr. Lonely which in my opinion Akon did not do it justice. Half the song sounds like if Alvin from The Chipmunks was on crack while singing. Sometimes sampling works—sometimes it does not (what do you think?) An example of it working is Jay Z’s Hard Knock Life. Anyway, I wanted to link you to a cool version of VKRS—the country western version. I think it is great but then again VKRS is one of my all tome favorite songs.
Handsome Hanks Video Killed The Radio Star:
Finally, I leave you with a parody, I’ve done covers and versions so I might as well do a parody. This is a Christmas parody and I know there are tons of those and I like a lot of them but this one is pretty fun and it has zombies and you all know I love zombies:
Zombie night:
and the outtakes which include bits of other parodies:
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