Songs that change when re-interpreted

[pcolbeck]

The Manics version of Raindrops is a classic I love it.

[Cunobelin]

The two for me are

 ELP's Karn Evil 9-banned for several years forvsuch references as

We've a sight to make you drool
Seven virgins and a mule
Keep t cool, keep it cool

Then becomes the theme for a family game show!

The othervwas Lou Reeds Perfect Day, a song about drugs that became the single for Children in Need!

[Rhys W]

The Manics version of Raindrops is a classic I love it.

You can't really go wrong with Bacharach & David can you? I'm thinking of The Stranglers' "Walk On By" now...

[Oaky]

Aha! Found it!

http://homepage.mac.com/simon_aughton/audio/Resources/Vienna.mp3

That's class!

[citoyen]

A lot of the subtly gets lost in translation from the French, the song just doesn't work as well in English.

Yes, it's not quite as bad as the translation of Le Moribond but you're absolutely right. It's Mort Schuman's translations - he either wasn't able or didn't bother trying to capture the nuances or the poetry of Brel's lyrics.

Compare and contrast Jake Thackray's Brother Gorilla, an interpretation of George Brassens' Le Gorille that captures the spirit of the original perfectly and has humour and poetry all of its own.

Going off on a slight tangent here, but I'm reminded of the Asterix books - the punning character names are actually funnier in the English translations than in the French originals.

d.

[Oaky]

I'm not sure it really counts but Bourée changes a bit between <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZrnRL5i7CZ0&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/ZrnRL5i7CZ0&rel=1</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/URMmUpqt-Pc&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/URMmUpqt-Pc&rel=1</a>'s re-interpretation.

I love both though.

[Tourist Tony]

A lot of the subtly gets lost in translation from the French, the song just doesn't work as well in English.

Yes, it's not quite as bad as the translation of Le Moribond but you're absolutely right. It's Mort Schuman's translations - he either wasn't able or didn't bother trying to capture the nuances or the poetry of Brel's lyrics.

Compare and contrast Jake Thackray's Brother Gorilla, an interpretation of George Brassens' Le Gorille that captures the spirit of the original perfectly and has humour and poetry all of its own.

Going off on a slight tangent here, but I'm reminded of the Asterix books - the punning character names are actually funnier in the English translations than in the French originals.

d.

Speaking of Brel (and Harvey, again), 'Au Suivant/Next'

Brel has an almost mocking tone at the start, then becomes quite lyrically sad. Alex is just destroyed by the experience. I love both, but SAHB is far nastier.

[woollypigs]

I know it is a bit backward but what about listeners interpenetration?

REM : (this one goes out to) The One I Love.

Many listeners who misunderstand the song's meaning have made the song a popular radio dedication to loved ones, relying on the main lyric, "This one goes out to the one I love." However, they missed an ensuing line: "A simple prop to occupy my time"; the song was not particularly a love song. Stipe related in 1987 to Rolling Stone, "I've always left myself pretty open to interpretation. It's probably better that they just think it's a love song at this point."[2] However, in an interview in the January 1988 issue of Musician magazine he said that the song was "incredibly violent" and "It's very clear that it's about using people over and over again".[3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_One_I_Love_(R.E.M._song)

[thing1]

It's a Sin, The Pet Shop Boys
- For some moments of my childhood that was my favouritist song. I only recently realized it probably has some deeper significance to the author.

Speed King, Deep Purple
- Heard a radio presenter expounding the other day how this is not about the "Speed King" bass drum pedal (nor is it about driving fast.....)

[itsbruce]

If a song doesn't change when you re-interpret it, you're probably doing it wrong.

[Cunobelin]

Slightly OT, but I find some (not all) of them funny are the literal lyrics to pop videos... does this count as a re-interpretation?

Sony have repeatedly banned this one of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ovEDhFfgdOo&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/ovEDhFfgdOo&rel=1</a>

[Cunobelin]

BAck on topic...

Runrig took the traditional <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/pzQ1pNfbe3Q&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/pzQ1pNfbe3Q&rel=1</a>

[Torslanda]

Some forgotten identikit outfit covered the Bee Gees 'Tragedy' in a completely toneless emotionless 'we're only in this for the money' kind of way.

Likewise wasn't the Pretenders 'I'll Stand By You' bolloxed up in a similar fashion a couple of years back?

I think the worst 're-interpretation' ever was when Frank Sinatra - who could neither count nor carry a tune inna bucket - did a swing cover of 'Mrs Robinson'. You can only ask 'What the fcuk was he thinking??' Maybe he read the paycheque the same way as the lyrics .  .  .

[clarion]

It was Steps who ritually eviscerated Tragedy.  And a tragedy it was.  I never thought I would feel sorry for the Bee Gees.

Mention of The Pretenders reminds me that they covered The Kinks' Stop Your Sobbing.  Most of my generation had no idea that it was a cover.

[RJ]

Let's have (in the Plus corner):

Sweet Jane - Cowboy Junkies

[itsbruce]

It was Steps who ritually eviscerated Tragedy.  And a tragedy it was.  I never thought I would feel sorry for the Bee Gees.

Mention of The Pretenders reminds me that they covered The Kinks' Stop Your Sobbing.  Most of my generation had no idea that it was a cover.

If I wasn't going to feel sorry for the Bee Gees after <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/T-gZKRKNy4w&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/T-gZKRKNy4w&rel=1</a>, I never would.  (I never did).