Cover Songs by Opposing Gender...

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I'm currently looking for song ideas for a compilation of cross gender cover songs for example:

Carlie Simon - You belong to me (Doobie Brothers)
Olive - I'm not in love (10cc)
Sinead O'Conner - Nothing compares to you (Prince)

Suggestions please.

Grendel...

― Stan Dorsett (grendel), Friday, 15 April 2005 11:48 (twenty years ago)

The Fureys w/Davey Arthur - "A bunch of thyme" about how a lusty sailor took away the singer's "thyme"

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 15 April 2005 11:53 (twenty years ago)

tori amos did a bunch for a cover cd, no?

― nathalie doing a soft foot shuffle (stevie nixed), Friday, 15 April 2005 11:57 (twenty years ago)

Make it easy on yourself - versions by Dionne Warwick and Scott Walker, by Burt Bacharach. there must be loads of these?

― bg (creamolafoam), Friday, 15 April 2005 11:59 (twenty years ago)

The Slits' "Heard it Through the Grapevine" has to be one of the ultimate examples, since Ari decides against changing the gendered language. Fantastic.

― J Sympthzr, Friday, 15 April 2005 12:07 (twenty years ago)

tlc, "if i was your girlfriend"

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Friday, 15 April 2005 12:34 (twenty years ago)

Op Ivy "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'"

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 15 April 2005 12:36 (twenty years ago)

white stripes "jolene"

― mitch dub (ano ano), Friday, 15 April 2005 12:39 (twenty years ago)

and there's "Since U Been Gone" - the Ted Leo version of the Kelly Clarkson tune.

― bg (creamolafoam), Friday, 15 April 2005 12:40 (twenty years ago)

Flaming Lips' version of "Can't Get You Out of My Head"

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 15 April 2005 12:43 (twenty years ago)

Kirtsy MacColl - New England (Billy Bragg)

― Bobby M (bobbym), Friday, 15 April 2005 12:44 (twenty years ago)

The all time classic: Kate Bush, Rocket Man (Elton John) -

"I'm not the man they think I am at home..."

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 15 April 2005 12:46 (twenty years ago)

"Girl Don't Tell Me" - Fuzzy/Beach Boys

― bg (creamolafoam), Friday, 15 April 2005 12:49 (twenty years ago)

Patti Smith, "Gloria"

― box.of.rox, Friday, 15 April 2005 12:56 (twenty years ago)

The all time classic: Kate Bush, Rocket Man (Elton John) -
"I'm not the man they think I am at home..."
-- ledge (tomdotledge...) (webmail), April 15th, 2005 1:46 PM. (link)

"I miss the Earth so much, I miss my wife"

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 15 April 2005 12:57 (twenty years ago)

(Actually, was that a comma or a full stop there? Was that Elton's attempt at "Meet the wife, don't laugh" humour?)

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 15 April 2005 12:58 (twenty years ago)

All Apologies - Hole
Rock & Roll Nigger - Marilyn Manson
Under The Bridge - All Saints
Baby One More Time - Travis

― elgolfo (elgolfo), Friday, 15 April 2005 13:13 (twenty years ago)

Sonic Youth, "Superstar" (The Carpenters)

Mary Lou Lord, "Thunder Road" (Bruce Springsteen), "Ontario, Quebec and You," Billy Bragg, and many, many others.

― Lyra Jane (Lyra Jane), Friday, 15 April 2005 13:15 (twenty years ago)

beatles, "boys"
beatles, "please mr. postman"
superchunk, "train from kansas city"
john wesley harding, "like a prayer"
lords of the new church, "like a virgin"

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Friday, 15 April 2005 13:20 (twenty years ago)

Cat Power - Can't Get No Satisfaction....

― DJ Tiara, Friday, 15 April 2005 13:24 (twenty years ago)

Futureheads - Hounds of Love

― Jessie the Monster (scarymonsterrr), Friday, 15 April 2005 13:30 (twenty years ago)

Afghan Whigs "Creep"

― daria g (daria g), Friday, 15 April 2005 13:31 (twenty years ago)

The Beach Boys - Then I Kissed Her
The Softies - Together Forever (Rick Astley of all people)

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 15 April 2005 13:33 (twenty years ago)

The Raincoats - Lola

― hmmm (hmmm), Friday, 15 April 2005 13:34 (twenty years ago)

Ciccone Youth - Into the Groove(y)
Senseless Things - Shoplifting
Birdland - Rock and Roll Nigger

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 15 April 2005 13:35 (twenty years ago)

Ok we have

Futureheads - Hounds of Love (Kate Bush)
Kate Bush - Rocket Man (Elton John)
Elton John - Young, Gifted and Black (Nina Simone) OMG WTF!

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 15 April 2005 13:49 (twenty years ago)

"Crimson & Clover" by Joan Jett (originally be Tony James & the Shondellles)

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 15 April 2005 13:50 (twenty years ago)

"Tainted Love" by Soft Cell was originally a "Northern Soul" track by a woman, i believe.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 15 April 2005 13:50 (twenty years ago)

Sixpence None The Richer - There she goes

― Kevin Erickson, Friday, 15 April 2005 13:51 (twenty years ago)

There are a few examples here:
Replacing "She" with "He" Etc. in a song - C/D

...mostly bad examples.

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 15 April 2005 13:52 (twenty years ago)

Hang on, Elton did "Young Gifted and Black" When? His "budget LP" days?

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 15 April 2005 13:54 (twenty years ago)

"Tainted Love" by Soft Cell was originally a "Northern Soul" track by a woman, i believe

gloria jones

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Friday, 15 April 2005 13:56 (twenty years ago)

Hang on, Elton did "Young Gifted and Black" When? His "budget LP" days?

Apparently. Or, budget singles later collected on an LP - I never knew about this.

― ledge (ledge), Friday, 15 April 2005 13:57 (twenty years ago)

Oh I thought of another one.

"Lilac Wine" - Jeff Buckley (his version was specifically modeled after the Nina Simone version I believe)

― Jessie the Monster (scarymonsterrr), Friday, 15 April 2005 13:58 (twenty years ago)

Emm Gryner ("Girl Versions") did the all-cross-gender-cover thing before Tori Amos, and much better. Her "Pour Some Sugar On Me" is wonderful.

Somewhere someone has an MP3 of Sleater-Kinney doing "Fortunate Son". No need to change the lyrics to add a shade or two of meaning.

And, in a similar vein, Me'shell Ndegeo'cello's "Who Is He And What Is He To You".

"Stand By Your Man" has been covered by a bunch of men, including Lyle Lovett, David Alan Coe, and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.

Finally, whatever else you include in your comp, you should not forget to include the totally obvious and completely profound, iconic cross-gender cover: Aretha Franklin's "Respect".

― Vornado (Vornado), Friday, 15 April 2005 14:02 (twenty years ago)

Jawbox - Cornflake Girl (Tori Amos)
Tricky - Black Steel (Public Enemy's Balck Steel In The Hour of Chaos)
Mean Red Spiders - Train and Boats and Planes (Burt Bacharach)
Rheostatics - One More Colour (Jane Siberry)

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 15 April 2005 14:16 (twenty years ago)

the Plasmatics covered "No Class" by Motorhead.....poorly.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 15 April 2005 14:17 (twenty years ago)

And to think they say that you Septics have no sense of irony!

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 15 April 2005 14:19 (twenty years ago)

This Mortal Coil had a few, like Chris Bell's "You and your sister" (sung by Kim Deal & Tanya Donelly) and Tim Buckley's "Song to the siren" (sung by Liz Fraser).

― the todster (the todster), Friday, 15 April 2005 15:03 (twenty years ago)

Lucinda Williams: Which Will (Nick Drake)

PJ Harvey: Highway 61 (Bob Dylan)

REM: Crazy (Pylon)---female singer on original

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Friday, 15 April 2005 15:11 (twenty years ago)

My opinion remains the same about gender-specific pronoun switches as it does in the thread linked above.

One that stands out in my head right now is The Carpenters covering "Ticket To Ride" - "The BOY that's driving me mad..." ugh.

― billstevejim, Friday, 15 April 2005 15:21 (twenty years ago)

Lizzy Mercier Descloux - "Fire" (The Crazy World of Arthur Brown), "Funky Stuff" (Kool and the Gang), "Let's Get It On" (Marvin Gaye)

― Ian Riese-Moraine. To Hell with you and your gradual evolution! (Eastern Mantra), Friday, 15 April 2005 15:24 (twenty years ago)

Kirsty MacColl: Days (The Kinks)

― SRS, Friday, 15 April 2005 15:59 (twenty years ago)

Frente! - Bizarre Love Triangle

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Friday, 15 April 2005 16:07 (twenty years ago)

I think there's a couple version of "The Boy From Ipanema" -- including a club-diva one by Crystal Waters.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 15 April 2005 16:09 (twenty years ago)

Emm Gryner ("Girl Versions") did the all-cross-gender-cover thing before Tori Amos, and much better. Her "Pour Some Sugar On Me" is wonderful.

OTM. But the best gender-bending moment on Girl Versions is when it opens with the line, "I am a patient boy."

― doug watson (solid air), Friday, 15 April 2005 16:12 (twenty years ago)

Cyndi Lauper - 'When You Were Mine' (Prince)
Janet Jackson - 'Tonight's The Night' (Rod Stewart)
Jose Gonzalez - 'Heartbeats' (The Knife)
Dubstar - 'Everyday I Die' (Gary Numan)
Michael Mayer - 'Slow' (Kylie Minogue)
Yukari Fresh - 'Anarchy In The UK' and 'The New Pollution' (with Mansfield)
A few from Mandy Moore's Coverage LP

― Plus-Tech Whiz Kid (Disco) (Barima), Friday, 15 April 2005 16:20 (twenty years ago)

Magnapop (and/or Garbage)-Thirteen (Big Star)
Garbage-The Butterfly Collector (The Jam)
The Animals-Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (Nina Simone)
Cowboy Junkies-Me & The Devil Blues (Robert Johnson)*
Bonnie Raitt-Angel From Montgomery** (John Prine)
Will Smith & Jazzy Jeff-Ring My Bell (The Lady That Did Ring My Bell)

*Really, a whole lot of Cowboy Junkies songs could go here
**Which was written from a female perspective

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Friday, 15 April 2005 16:42 (twenty years ago)

Howbout Girlschool's "Tush"? (ZZ Top)

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, 15 April 2005 17:14 (twenty years ago)

Xiu Xiu -- Fast Car (Tracy Chapman)

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Friday, 15 April 2005 17:32 (twenty years ago)

Joan Jett's has a slew of them (shocker):
"I Love Rock N Roll" (The Arrows)
"Roadrunner" (Modern Lovers)
"Do You Wanna Touch Me" (Gary Glitter)
"Crimson & Clover" (Tommy James & The Shondells)
"Androgynous" (Replacements)
"Real Wild Child" (originally by Johnny O'Keefe, but basically Iggy Pop owns it)

― Je4nne ƒury (Jeanne Fury), Friday, 15 April 2005 18:30 (twenty years ago)

Saint Etienne - 'I wanna be your boyfriend' (The Ramones)

― daavid (daavid), Friday, 15 April 2005 18:33 (twenty years ago)

Jeanne, who did the original of "Androgynous"? I thought the Replacements wrote it.

― box.of.rox, Friday, 15 April 2005 18:38 (twenty years ago)

Oops. Never mind.

― box.of.rox, Friday, 15 April 2005 18:40 (twenty years ago)

Tori Amos has a whole bunch of them that she did on that covers album, although I only remember "Time" (Tom Waits) and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Nirvana).

Besides that, Jeff Buckley probably performed more covers of songs by women than any other male musician I know, simply because he could, I guess. "Lilac Wine" "Be My Husband" and "If you Knew" (Nina Simone), "Strange Fruit" (Billie Holiday), "Hymne L'Amour" and "Je N'en Connais Pa La Fin" (Edith Piaf), and "Calling You" (Jevetta Steele).

Nina Simone - "I shall be released" (Bob Dylan)
Ani Difranco - "When Doves Cry" (Prince)
Michael Mayer - "Slow" (Kylie Minogue)
Cake - "I Will Survive" (Gloria Gaynor)
Muse - Feeling Good (Nina Simone)
Eternal - Stay (Glenn Jones)
Fiona Apple - "Across the Universe" (Beatles)
Goldbug - "Whole Lotta Love" (Led Zeppelin)
This Mortail Coil - "Song to the Siren" (Tim Buckley)
My Chemical Romance - "All I Want for Christmas Is You" (Mariah Carey haha)

― Roz, Friday, 15 April 2005 18:54 (twenty years ago)

AC/DShe is an awesome all girl tribute band.

― Bobby Peru (Bobby Peru), Friday, 15 April 2005 19:08 (twenty years ago)

Pet Shop Boys - Try It (I'm in love with a married man)

― Seb (Seb), Friday, 15 April 2005 19:51 (twenty years ago)

I Just Wanna Have Something To Do - Garbage
Black Hole Sun - Cibo Matto
Corcovado - Everything But The Girl
Black Hole Sun - Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme
Blackbird - Sarah McLachlan
Mother Nature's Son - Sheryl Crow
D'yer Maker - Sheryl Crow
We Can Work It Out - Heather Nova

― elgolfo (elgolfo), Friday, 15 April 2005 20:20 (twenty years ago)

Bryan Ferry -- It's My Party (Lesley Gore)

― Fa Fa fa FA, Fa fa Fa fa FA Fa (poop), Friday, 15 April 2005 20:29 (twenty years ago)

Patti Smith, "Gloria"
-- box.of.rox (merchandis...), April 15th, 2005.

yeah!

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Friday, 15 April 2005 22:44 (twenty years ago)

YEAH. I would say that it owns this thread eight ways from Sunday.

― box.of.rox, Friday, 15 April 2005 23:12 (twenty years ago)

The Sweet Inspirations - To Love Somebody

― mucho, Friday, 15 April 2005 23:30 (twenty years ago)

Grace Jones- She's Lost Control.
If you count Jones' gender as opposing Ian Curtis', that is.

― Jesse, Saturday, 16 April 2005 15:19 (twenty years ago)

Chris Brokaw- "1000 mhp"(Thalia Zedek), "In Love With Yourself"(Liz Phair), "Across the Blue"(Holy Anderson and Lisa Burns)

― Aja (aja), Saturday, 16 April 2005 15:48 (twenty years ago)

tori's covers album was *all* cross gender. i think she did em's "bonnie and clyde"?

also joan jett has some other super-fantastic ones. gary glitter's "back with the boys" and "do you want to touch me" for example.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Saturday, 16 April 2005 15:53 (twenty years ago)

Thalia Zedek has covered both VU's "Candy says" and Dylan's "You're a big girl now"

― the todster (the todster), Saturday, 16 April 2005 15:56 (twenty years ago)

Mya did Tom Petty's "Free fallin'"

― the todster (the todster), Saturday, 16 April 2005 15:56 (twenty years ago)

Moe Tucker's versions of the old VU songs -- do they count? She's at least done "Waiting for the man" and "Pale blue eyes".

Big Star has covered "Femme fatale", originally sung by Nico.

― the todster (the todster), Saturday, 16 April 2005 15:58 (twenty years ago)

The Cardigans did "Iron man", didn't they?

― the todster (the todster), Saturday, 16 April 2005 15:59 (twenty years ago)

I know they did "The Boys are Back in Town"

― Aja (aja), Saturday, 16 April 2005 16:00 (twenty years ago)

Howbout Girlschool's "Tush"? (ZZ Top)

Didn't they do a Motörhead cover too?

― the todster (the todster), Saturday, 16 April 2005 16:21 (twenty years ago)

Nouvelle Vague have loads of these on their album. Every song on there, probably.

Anita Lane covered Marvin Gaye's "Sexual healing".

Mazzy Star did a Green On Red song, "Hair & skin" is it called?

Mary J. Blige & George Michael did Stevie Wonder's "As".

― the todster (the todster), Saturday, 16 April 2005 16:22 (twenty years ago)

The Dictators did "I got you babe", if that qualifies.

― the todster (the todster), Saturday, 16 April 2005 16:24 (twenty years ago)

Aretha Franklin --> Flying Burrito Brothers

"Do Right Woman"

― PB, Saturday, 16 April 2005 16:27 (twenty years ago)

No Doubt, "It's my life" (Talk Talk)

― the todster (the todster), Saturday, 16 April 2005 16:32 (twenty years ago)

"The Cardigans did "Iron man", didn't they?"

Yup. and they also did "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"!

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Saturday, 16 April 2005 16:43 (twenty years ago)

Cristina - "When You Were Mine" (Prince)

― Ian Riese-Moraine. To Hell with you and your gradual evolution! (Eastern Mantra), Saturday, 16 April 2005 16:49 (twenty years ago)

Elvis, "Hound Dog" (Big Mama Thornton)
Rolling Stones, "Time is on My Side" (Irma Thomas)
Herman's Hermits, "I'm Into Something Good" (Earl-Jean McCree)
Aretha Franklin, "You Send Me" (among others) (Sam Cooke)
Pretenders, "Whatcha Gonna Do About It" (Small Faces)
K. McCartey, "Hey Joe" (Daniel Johnston)
Bryan Ferry, "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" (Shirelles)
Rainy Day, "Flying on the Ground is Wrong" (among others) (Buffalo Springfield)
Kate Rusby, "Withered and Died" (Richard Thompson)
Cassandra Wilson, "Last Train to Clarksville" (Monkees)

― Burr (Burr), Saturday, 16 April 2005 17:12 (twenty years ago)

Alice Donut - My Boyfriend's Back

― autovac (autovac), Saturday, 16 April 2005 18:06 (twenty years ago)

Electrelane, "I'm on fire" (Bruce Springsteen)
Cibo Matto, "About a Girl" (Nirvana)
The Cardigans, "Mr. Crowley" (Ozzy)
Morrissey, "Redondo Beach" (Patti Smith)
Nancy Sinatra, "Let Me Kiss You" (Morrissey)
Cat Power, "I Found A Reason" (Velvet Underground)
New Radicals, "Kids in America" (Kim Wilde)
Siouxsie and the Banshees, "The Passenger" (Iggy Pop), "Helter Skelter" (Beatles)
Elvis, "Hound Dog" (Big Mama Thornton)
TATU, "How Soon Is Now" (The Smiths)

― irex (irex), Saturday, 16 April 2005 18:47 (twenty years ago)

I can't believe I didn't see the Elvis thing two posts up...

― irex (irex), Saturday, 16 April 2005 18:48 (twenty years ago)

While all of the songs listed are technically cross-gender cover songs, the lyrics of quite a few don't really indicate the singer's gender. As far as mutable-gender weirdness, I'll say that the Raincoats' cover is my favorite.

Also: The Vaselines. They aren't covering anyone, but a number of their songs are very confusing as to what gender the singer is supposed to be. "Molly's Lips" could easily be about lesbians, but "I drink all I can 'cause it makes me a man" from "No Hope" is just odd.

― Heidy- Ho, Sunday, 17 April 2005 13:53 (twenty years ago)

xxpost is that Alice Donut song any good? I cover girl group songs as a hobby, and I always wanted to do that one.

― Heidy- Ho, Sunday, 17 April 2005 13:55 (twenty years ago)

Twisted Sister chose an interesting approach, by not just changing gender, but in fact changing the point of view, on their version of "Leader Of The Pack"

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 17 April 2005 15:05 (twenty years ago)

Marisa Monte, "Pale blue eyes"

― the todster (the todster), Sunday, 17 April 2005 15:07 (twenty years ago)

Future Bible Heroes doing "Don't You Want Me" with reversed gender parts! (Stephin M. singing "I was working as a waitress..." is a very entertaining thing.)

― Marcel Post (Marcel Post), Sunday, 17 April 2005 19:00 (twenty years ago)

Belly "Hot Burrito #1"

― Jeremy (Jeremy), Sunday, 17 April 2005 19:49 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

revive!

astrud gilberto - beginnings (chicago)
claudine longet - jealous guy/don't let me down (medley)

― timmy tannin (pompous), Thursday, 4 May 2006 05:39 (nineteen years ago)

Slits again with 'Man Who Lives Next Door'

― S- (sgh), Thursday, 4 May 2006 06:55 (nineteen years ago)

Gus Gus "Spacelab"

― scnnr drkly (scnnr drkly), Thursday, 4 May 2006 15:59 (nineteen years ago)

Mary Lou Lord - 1952 Vincent Black Lightning

the entirety of In the World of Him by Sally Timms

― p@reene (Pareene), Thursday, 4 May 2006 16:28 (nineteen years ago)

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea - Rilo Kiley
Sweet Child O' Mine - Cheryl Crow

― Steve Goldberg (Steve Goldberg), Thursday, 4 May 2006 19:28 (nineteen years ago)

On Sandra Bernhardt's music album, there's a cover of "50 ways to Leave Your Lover" with female names in the chorus instead of the male ones in the original.

― Chairman Doinel (Charles McCain), Thursday, 4 May 2006 19:35 (nineteen years ago)

Beach Boys-"Then I Kissed Her" (a gender flip of "Then He Kissed Me")

― Chairman Doinel (Charles McCain), Thursday, 4 May 2006 19:37 (nineteen years ago)

Bryan Ferry- "It's My Party" (Lesley Gore)

― D. Bachyrycz, Thursday, 4 May 2006 19:48 (nineteen years ago)

Neko Case: Dreamin' Man (Neil Young)

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Thursday, 4 May 2006 20:01 (nineteen years ago)

Johnny Cash: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack)
Rosanne Cash: I Don't Want To Spoil The Party (Beatles)

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Thursday, 4 May 2006 20:02 (nineteen years ago)

Tiffany, "I Saw Him Standing There" (also "I Think We're Alone Now," but there was no difference there)

And I'll add Mitch Ryder's "When U Were Mine," because Prince is not a woman, he's not a man, he is something that we'll never understand.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Thursday, 4 May 2006 20:09 (nineteen years ago)

Janice Joplin: Me and Bobbie McGee (Kris Kristofferson)

― shorty (shorty), Thursday, 4 May 2006 20:28 (nineteen years ago)

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