As Wikipedia puts it, “In popular music, a cover version, cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by someone other than the original artist or composer of a previously recorded, commercially released song.” Sometimes, a cover can either surpass the original or shows us that maybe some songs should remained untouched from the original source.
For the past couple of weeks, this idea popped into my head about weird cover songs. So I finally decided to make a list that was originally 10, but then I found more. Now, it’s a list of the 20 weirdest covers I’ve found and heard. Buckle up buckaroos, you’re in for a wild ride.
Now before we continue, I have to inform you that the songs on this list are covers that were recorded for a compilation, an album, or as a single. There will be no live covers on this list. That’s a list for another day. So don’t expect to see Gym Class Heroes covering Lamb Of God, Miley Cyrus covering Nirvana, or Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness covering Bruce Springsteen.
1. Silverstein – Song To Woody (Originally by Bob Dylan)
In 2012, to celebrate their 50th anniversary, Amnesty International released Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International, a gigantic four-disc tribute album that contains 73 songs (along with three bonus tracks on iTunes). The lineup spans of a multitude of genres, from pop, country, alt-rock, jazz, and even punk. You got an impressive lineup featuring acts like Johnny Cash, Flogging Molly, Cage The Elephant, Queens Of The Stone Age, Jack’s Mannequin, Adele, Bad Religion, My Chemical Romance, Silversun Pickups, and Rise Against. But the strangest act has to be the inclusion of legendary Canadian post-hardcore band Silverstein covering Dylan’s 1962 song “Song To Woody”. The band shorten the track to two minutes and gave it a punk vibe. Silverstein are no strangers to oddball covers, covering Fleetwood Mac, Nine Inch Nails, Kayne West, The Get Up Kids, OneRepublic, and The Beatles. It’s gotta be the strangest song Shane Told and company have covered.
2. Train – Whole Lotta Love (Originally by Led Zeppelin)
Ok, Train and Led Zeppelin should not mix, and their recreation of Led Zeppelin’s sophomore album Led Zeppelin II shows. All nine songs are covered by the Californian rock band, including “Whole Lotta Love”, which shows the band leaving it alone and adding nothing new to it. Everything would be normal, but then you remember this is Train we’re talking about and you’re hearing Pat Monahan singing instead of the legendary Robert Plant. For the life of you, avoid this cover. But if you’re adventurous to listen, be careful.
3. New Found Glory – J’y Suis Jamais Allé (Originally by Yann Tiersen)
Years ago, New Found Glory released an EP called From The Screen To Your Stereo that featured songs from films like Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves (“(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” by Bryan Adams), That Thing You Do! (“That Thing You Do” by The Wonders), The Karate Kid Part II (“The Glory Of Love” by Peter Cetera), and Titanic (“My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion). In 2007, they made a follow up featuring more songs like Sixpence None The Richer’s “Kiss Me” (She’s All That), Tears For Fears’ “Head Over Heels” (Donnie Darko), When In Rome’s “The Promise” (Napoleon Dynamite), Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” (City Of Angels), and Lisa Loeb’s “Stay (I Missed You)” (Reality Bites) which features Loeb on their cover. But on that album they cover the instrumental song “J’y Suis Jamais Allé” from the French romance/comedy film Amélie. The cover features NFG’s signature pop punk style but with the addition of an accordion and xylophone. I love this cover so much.
4. ROAM – Someday (Originally by Nickelback)
You have to be ballsy to cover one of the most hated bands of all time. To celebrate their 200th issue, Rocksound magazine released a free CD called Worship And Tributes which featured 14 bands covering their favorite songs. Acts like You Me At Six, As It Is, Enter Shikari, Neck Deep, Hacktivist, and Architects, covered bands like Foo Fighters, Weezer, Funeral For A Friend, Slipknot, Bring Me The Horizon, and Motion City Soundtrack. ROAM decided to cover their favorite band: Nickelback. And holy shit is it oddly great. They turned the Canadian rock band’s boring song into a pop punk jam. It’s so good that you can buy it on iTunes right now.
5. A Hero A Fake – Looking Up (Originally by Paramore)
Anyone remember A Hero A Fake? They were a metalcore band from Charlotte, N.C., who were on Victory Records (Awaken I Am, Colours, We Ride) for four years. Anyway, in 2011, they covered Paramore’s “Looking Up” and it’s an odd song. You’d think this is the first time someone did a metalcore version of a Paramore song, but they aren’t the first. I forgot about this cover until it popped into my head for this list.
6. Glass Cloud – Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Originally by Tears For Fears)
I hated this cover years ago and I still hate it now. It appeared on the charity compilation Take Action Compilation, Vol. 11 as the first song on disc two. Everything sounds normal, but then the breakdown hits and it all goes to shit. I love the drums and guitar work by current Emmure and ex-The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza member Joshua Travis. But that breakdown though…that godawful breakdown. Kids, don’t add screams to Tears For Fears, please.
7. Our Last Night – Who Let The Dogs Out (Originally by Baha Men)
Must I repeat myself? The New Hampshire post-hardcore band did an easycore version of the Junkanoo classic, and it sucks. If you can last the whole time without cringing, congratulations, you have a stronger will than I. There’s nothing more I wanna say about this abomination…it’s a fun cover, ok?
8. Breathe Carolina – With Or Without You (Originally by U2)
So…how does an electronicore duo from Denver pay tribute to the beloved post-punk band from Ireland known as U2? By making a bizarre cover of one of their classics. Released on the deluxe edition of their sophomore album Hello Fascination, this cover features a faster tempo and screams provided by Kyle Even. When I first heard this cover I was intrigued and loved it. Now I find it to be downright charming and original. It doesn’t ruin the vibe of the original and they put a twist on it that doesn’t saturate the shit out of it.
9. Macy Gray – Teenagers (Originally by My Chemical Romance)
In 2012, R&B superstar Macy Gray released a cover album simply titled Covered which showed her covering the most bizarre bands for an R&B artist to perform such as Metallica, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, AWOLNATION, Radiohead, and Colbie Caillat. But the weirdest track has to be her edit of the My Chemical Romance song “Teenagers”. She turns the punk rock song into an R&B jam that actually works, besides her butchering the lyrics. She changed most of the lyrics and that’s the only odd part. Maybe she didn’t want to sing about how “they’re gonna rip off your heads.”
10. Simple Plan – Justified Black Eye (Originally by No Use For A Name)
To honor No Use For A Name’s lead vocalist Tony Sly who passed away in 2012, Fat Wreck Chords released The Songs Of Tony Sly: A Tribute. The album featured artists like Alkaline Trio, Bad Religion, NOFX, The Gaslight Anthem, Pennywise, Frank Turner, The Bouncing Souls, Yellowcard, Anti-Flag, and Teenage Bottlerocket, covering songs from NUFAN and Sly’s solo career. Canadian pop punkers Simple Plan appeared on the album covering “Justified Black Eye” and fans like myself were quite shocked by what they did. Instead of sounding like anything punk, the band stripped away any punk style it once had and added ukulele, finger snaps, bongos, and a guitar which appeared in the chorus. It feels like a bastardized version of the original and makes it sound like a pop song. What were they thinking?
Part two will be posted later.
Punk Goes Prenatt 