It's the Same Old Song ... Or Is It?
Do you know that strange feeling you get when you hear an unfamiliar voice singing a familiar song? The world feels out-of-sorts, strangely unbalanced. I had a big case of these ‘ears-out-of sorts-blues’ when I tuned into the Opry on WSM 650 AM on Tuesday night to hear my friend Jedd Hughes perform. He was awesome as always, and after his set I listened to the other performers, but because of the chatter in the van I couldn’t hear the name of the next act. The singer was performing hits of yesteryear and though I was no longer concentrating on the radio, a few minutes later I was really taken by surprise.
The old crooner on the microphone launched into a song that I knew I knew. In fact I knew I loved the song, but I could not figure out for the life of me which song it was, and where was that deep baritone I was expecting? By the end of the song it dawned on me that this had been a smash for George Strait – “Give it Away” – and the “old crooner” on the mic was none other than the writer: the legendary and incredible Bill Anderson. I felt very guilty for having dismissed his performance until I knew who it was, but I should stress his version sounded completely different than the Strait version we know and love. It took me three minutes instead of three seconds to identify the song.
Somewhere in the journey, the artist or producer had a vision and saw the song’s potential to be a hit. I love George’s version and it’s a testament to him that I fully believe if Bill had released his version it would NOT have been a hit. Two versions of the same song can sound utterly and completely different -- same melody and lyrics, but worlds apart.
Which leads to the fun part: I want to create a list of songs with two versions that sound completely different. Keeping it broadly within the grounds of country music, some good versions, others disastrous, I will offer up a few ideas to start the ball rolling:
“I’m Down” – New Grass Revival / The Beatles
“Baby, Now That I’ve Found You” – Alison Krauss / The Foundations
“Piece Of my Heart” - Faith Hill / Janis Joplin
“Ring of Fire” – Johnny Cash / Olivia Newton-John (!)
Let’s keep the list growing…
©2008 Country Music Television, Inc., a Viacom company. A division of
Ms. Z says:
How about these:
“Hurt” - Cash / NIN
“Ring of Fire” - Cash / Social Distortion
“Shine” - Dolly Parton / Collective Soul
“Wonderwall” - Ryan Adams / Oasis
“Stairway to Heaven” - Dolly Parton / Led Zepplin
“Oh, Atlanta” - Alison Krauss / Bad Company
“I Walk the Line” - Cash / Live
Bruce Robison Gives Away His Secret For Writing Hit Songs — The 9513 says:
[...] version of “Give It Away” and comparing it to George Strait’s, Eamon McLoughlin wants your help putting together a list of songs with two versions that sound completely [...]
Chris N says:
“Sunday Morning” - Velvet Underground/Elizabeth Cook
Pete says:
“When The Stars Go Blue” Ryan Adams/Tim McGraw
Natalie says:
“When You Say Nothing At All” Allison Krauss/Keith Whitley
“Rusty Cage” Soundgarden/Johnny Cash
“On The Road Again” Willie Nelson/Buckcherry
“Paint Me A Birmingham” Tracy Lawrence/Ken Mellons
“Runaway” Gary Allan/Del Shannon
“Don’t Tell Mama” Ty Herndon/Gary Allan
“The Race Is On” Sawyer Brown/George Jones
“What I’d Say” Earl Thomas Conley/Gary Allan
“Flowers On The Wall” Statler Brothers/Eric Heatherly
“Walking After Midnight” Garth Brooks/Patsy Cline
“I’m so Happy I can’t Stop Crying” Sting/Toby Keith
“Landslide” Stevie Nicks/Dixie Chicks/Smashing Pumpkins
“Summertime Blues” Eddie Cochran/Alan Jackson
“Devil’s Right Hand” Steve Earle/Johnny Cash
All I can remember right now…
Natalie says:
Aha I remembered another one…
“The Best I Ever Had” Vertical Horizon/Gary Allan
Paula says:
“Toxic” - Nickel Creek / Britney Spears
“All Along the Watchtower” - Bob Dylan / Jimi Hendrix
“Together Again” - Buck Owens / Ray Charles / Emmylou Harris
“Faded Love” - Bob Wills / Willie Nelson / Patsy Cline
“Galveston” - Glen Campbell / Jimmy Webb
Eamon McLoughlin says:
Oh, I just heard Kelly Willis sing a very spritely version of the incredibly downbeat Nick Drake song:
“Time Has Told Me”
Definitly a re-invention of the same song.
Lee Meredith says:
OK, Eamon. Here You go.
“Satin Sheets” - Willis Alan Ramsey/Shawn Colvin
“Mr. Bojangles” - Jerry Jeff Walker/Sammy Davis Jr./Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
“Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” - Willie Nelson/Elvis Presley
“Imagine” - John Lennon/Dolly Parton
“Here, There and Everywhere” - The Beatles/Emmylou Harris
“Beast of Burden” - The Rolling Stones/Buckwheat Zydeco
“I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party” - The Beatles/Roseanne Cash
“I Will” - The Beatles/Alison Krauss
“Waiting Aroud to Die” - Townes Van Zandt/Be Good Tanyas
“The Jet Set” George Jones and Tammy Wynette/John Prine and Iris Dement
“Muskrat Love” - Willis Alan Ramsey/The Captain and Tennille
“Not Fade Away” - Buddy Holly and the Crickets/The Rolling Stones
“With God on Our Side” - Bob Dylan/Buddy Miller
“One Too Many Mornings” - Bob Dylan/Jerry Jeff Walker
“Everybody Knows” - Leonard Cohen/The Dukhs
Patti helped.
–Lee
Lee Meredith says:
Oops. I forgot three more Beatles cuts:
“Taxman” - The Beatles/Stevie Ray Vaughn
“I’m Looking Through You” - The Beatles/Steve Earle
“For No One” - The Beatles/Emmylou Harris
I’m done.
Paul W Dennis says:
“Six Days On The Road” Dave Dudley / Sawyer Brown
“Fools” Johnny Duncan / Jim Ed Brown & Helen Cornelius
“Sweet Thang” Nat Stuckey / Ernest Tubb & Loretta Lynn
“Farewell Party” Jimmy Dickens / Gene Watson
“Life Turned Her That Way” Jimmy Dickens / Mel Tillis / Ricky Van Shelton
“Statue of a Fool” Jack Greene / Brian Collins / Ricky Van Shelton
“Drinking Champaign” Cal Smith / George Strait
“Right or Wrong” Bob Wills / George Strait
“Love Bug” George Jones / George Strait
“If You Ain’t Lovin’ ” Faron Young / George Strait
Natalie says:
“Tennesee Flat Top Box” Johnny Cash/Rosanne Cash
“The Other Kind” Steve Earle/Brother Phelps
“The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia” Vicki Lawrence/Reba McEntire
“Delta Dawn” Tanya Tucker/Helen Reddy
There was the “Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles” Album. I think my favorite cut from that one was Clint Black’s version of Desperado.
Mark says:
“Friends in Low Places” Mark Chesnutt/Garth Brooks
“What Hurts the Most” Mark Wills/Rascal Flatts
in both cases, Mark recorded it first
Roger T in Texas says:
“Pop A Top” Jim Ed Brown / Alan Jackson
“Break Down Here” Julie Roberts / Trace Adkins
“I”ll Die Trying” Lonestar / Emerson Drive
“You’re Like Coming Home” Lonestar / Emerson Drive
“Fishin’ In The Dark” Nitty Gritty Dirt Band / Emerson Drive
Dustin says:
I’m shocked you haven’t thought of at least this one:
“Fancy” Reba / Bobbi Gentry
Here are a couple of other Reba ones:
“Angel In Your Arms” Reba / Barbara Mandrell
“I Was Country (When Country Wasn’t Cool)” Reba/Kenny Chesney / Barbara Mandrell
“The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia” Reba / Vicki Lawrence
“Does He Love You” / Reba/Linda Davis / Patti LaBelle / Liza Minelli
Tracie says:
“Please Come To Boston” Reba McEntire / Dave Loggins
321-693-1765 says:
I can not believe that no one has thought to mention:
“I Will Always Love You” Dolly Parton/ Whitney Houston/ Vince Gill
“Jolene” Dolly Parton/ Mindy Smith
And there is another song that Dolly Parton re-did, that Soul Collector wrote and recorded, I just can not think of the name of the song. Something with ‘December’ in the title. I know that NickelCreek was in the video. Someone must know what the name of the song is.
Amanda says:
I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Sorry for posting my phone number! It was a TOTAL ACCIDENT!!! PLEASE don’t call the number, as it is only an emergency cell phone. No one will answer! Oy Vey!
tnwiens says:
Some of these might have been mentioned before, I’m not sure.
“I’ll Take Today” - Tanya Tucker/Gary Allan
“In This Life” - Collin Raye/Mike Reid/Kirk Whalum
“Lesson In Leavin” - Dottie West/JoDee Messina
“How do I live” - Trisha Yearwood/Leann Rimes
“Stupid boy” - Keith Urban/Sarah Buxton
“Till I Get It Right” - Tammy Wynette/Trisha Yearwood
“Till I Can Make It On My Own” - Tammy Wynette/Dottie West & Kenny Rogers/Martina McBride/Billy Gilman
“Poor Poor Pitiful Me” - Linda Ronstadt/Terri Clark
“Easy From Now On” - Emmylou Harris & Terri Clark
“Good Mother” - Jan Arden/Terri Clark
“Working Girl” - Loretta Lynn/Terri Clark
“Walking After Midnight” - Pastsy Cline/Terri Clark
“Sleeping Single In A Double Bed” - Barbra Mandrell/Terri Clark
“Some People Change” - Kenny Chesney/Montgomery Gentry/George Canyon
“T-R-O-U-B-L-E” - Travis Tritt/Elvis
“Lovesick Blues” - Hank Williams Sr./Hank Williams Jr./Patsy Cline/George Strait/Leann Rimes
“On the other Hand” - George Jones/Randy Travis
“Here in the Real World” - George Jones/Alan Jackson
“The Blues man” - George Jones/Alan Jackson
“The Love bug” - George Jones/George Strait
“The Seashore of old Mexico” - Merle Haggard & Wilie Nelson/George Strait
“Nothing To Lose” - Josh Gracin/Marcel
“Goodbye Time” - Conway Twitty/Blake Shelton
“Only God Could Stop Me Loving You” - Billy Ray Cyrus/Emerson Drive
marieann says:
stealing kisses. faith hill/lori mckenna
fireflies etc etc, faith sings lori’s songs so well!
faith has 2 versions of piece of my heart. well actually 3! she has the original country version she did for the ‘take me as i am’ album, then the rockier version she did for the ‘faith/love will always win,there you’ll be greatest hits albums, then the live version! each are individual and both amazing!
but she rocks each of them!