Silly songs covered earnestly

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I'm a fan of a silly pop songs covered earnestly. For example: the Mountain Goats cover of Ignition, and Ben Kweller singing Ice Ice Baby. Any other recommendations?

― WillS, Thursday, 29 December 2005 06:58 (twenty years ago)

I predict nothing but positive results and beneficial consequences from this thread.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Thursday, 29 December 2005 07:05 (twenty years ago)

Mountain Goats also have done an amazing live cover of Ace of Base's "the Sign"

― Stephen C (ihope), Thursday, 29 December 2005 07:11 (twenty years ago)

I guess tha's not really earnest. Um didn't Travis cover "Baby One More Time"?

― Stephen C (ihope), Thursday, 29 December 2005 07:12 (twenty years ago)

I hope someday to assemble a full album of today's greatest mopey singer-songwriters covering Roxette songs.

― Sam Hunt (robosam), Thursday, 29 December 2005 07:41 (twenty years ago)

http://www.2zero9.org/misc/irony.png

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Thursday, 29 December 2005 07:44 (twenty years ago)

Barbra Streisand covering "Life on Mars".

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Thursday, 29 December 2005 08:04 (twenty years ago)

I'd offer Ween's take on "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" on Schoolhouse Rock Rocks, just because they played it straight the whole way through.

One might suggest Sonic Youth's "Superstar," but I wouldn't be that one.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Thursday, 29 December 2005 09:04 (twenty years ago)

julie london--the mickey mouse march

― anthony easton (anthony), Thursday, 29 December 2005 10:37 (twenty years ago)

there'll be tears by whenever

― born-again christians in the old corral (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 29 December 2005 11:26 (twenty years ago)

you might be looking for something like the Stubbs the Zombie soundtrack

― marc h. (marc h.), Thursday, 29 December 2005 12:08 (twenty years ago)

Does that piano-based indie cover of "Prayer to God" apply here? I think it does.

― Eppy (Eppy), Thursday, 29 December 2005 14:22 (twenty years ago)

Do the Cocteau Twins' versions of Frosty the Snowman and Winter Wonderland count in this?

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 29 December 2005 14:26 (twenty years ago)

galaxie 500 - cheese and onions

― don't start a RYE-OTT! (plsmith), Thursday, 29 December 2005 14:50 (twenty years ago)

Kim Fowley's "Bubblegum" cover by Sonic Youth. Maybe not "earnest/silly" but surely "serious/silly" and quite effective.

that song is also the precise moment Kim Gordon transformed herself from interesting art performer to awesome ROCK GODDESS.

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Thursday, 29 December 2005 14:52 (twenty years ago)

Coil's trudge through "Tainted Love," obviously....and Johnny Cash's handling of NIN's "Hurt".

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 29 December 2005 15:34 (twenty years ago)

Nick Cave's "Tower of Song" cover.

― Eppy (Eppy), Thursday, 29 December 2005 15:35 (twenty years ago)

"Tainted Love" is a silly song?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Thursday, 29 December 2005 15:36 (twenty years ago)

Richard Thompson does Oops I Did It Again on his current 1000 Years of Popular Music tour, and it's not played for laughs.

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Thursday, 29 December 2005 15:38 (twenty years ago)

Johnny Cash's handling of NIN's "Hurt".

OTM. or as my son has taken to saying "you got THAT right!"

actually this fits 99% of those Cash/Rick Rubin LPs IMO

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Thursday, 29 December 2005 15:40 (twenty years ago)

"Tainted Love" is a silly song?

It's a workaday breakup song. But in Coil's hands, its a requiem for AIDS victims.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 29 December 2005 15:43 (twenty years ago)

"baby one more time" is a silly song? "life on mars" is a silly song? "winter wonderland" is a silly song???!!!???

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Thursday, 29 December 2005 15:47 (twenty years ago)

i've never heard the richard thompson or travis covers of britney spears, but i've heard the fountains of wayne cover, and it's fairly awful. they're all droney and acoustic and serious, and that of course actually MAKES THE SONG SILLY. so i'd call that one a silly cover of a serious song.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Thursday, 29 December 2005 15:48 (twenty years ago)

will oldham's cover of big balls. so damn good.

― milosz meller (milosz), Thursday, 29 December 2005 16:23 (twenty years ago)

mark kozelek to thread

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Thursday, 29 December 2005 20:44 (twenty years ago)

Scott Walker "Bitchin' Camaro"

― dali madison's nut (donut), Thursday, 29 December 2005 20:50 (twenty years ago)

Dead Can Dance "Kinko The Clown"

― dali madison's nut (donut), Thursday, 29 December 2005 20:50 (twenty years ago)

Diamanda Galas "Take The Skinheads Bowling"

― dali madison's nut (donut), Thursday, 29 December 2005 20:54 (twenty years ago)

tori amos "smells like teen spirit"

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Thursday, 29 December 2005 20:55 (twenty years ago)

Ted Leo "Since U Been Gone"

― T.S., Thursday, 29 December 2005 20:58 (twenty years ago)

Surely "MacArthur Park" owns this thread?

― Joe (Joe), Thursday, 29 December 2005 21:03 (twenty years ago)

I just heard a Galaxy 500 cover of the Pistols' "Submission" that wrung all sorts of new emotions out of the song for me.

― bendy (bendy), Thursday, 29 December 2005 21:51 (twenty years ago)

Eppy, please don't tell me you dislike the Jon-Rae and the River vsn of "Prayer to God"!

but regardless, no, i think that cover has humour alongside fury, and is not boringhohum "earnest" in the lame sense applauded here. fuck i hate that will oldham vsn of "ignition".

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Thursday, 29 December 2005 21:55 (twenty years ago)

Paul Anka - It's My Life

― blunt (blunt), Thursday, 29 December 2005 22:24 (twenty years ago)

No, I like it, but the original seems VERY silly to me, and in contrast theirs is kinda earnest.

― Eppy (Eppy), Thursday, 29 December 2005 22:54 (twenty years ago)

Van Halen's "Jump" - a remarkably silly song - as lovingly covered by Aztec Camera.

― darren (darren), Thursday, 29 December 2005 22:58 (twenty years ago)

I.e. there's no particular laugh-out-loud moment in their version, and the whole thing is a fairly accurate rendering of a particular style, not "hey let's do this song but in this other genre we don't usually play in!" kinda way that these sorts of covers tend to attract. I mean, you forgot it was a cover when you posted it (I think), so that's gotta say something!

― Eppy (Eppy), Thursday, 29 December 2005 22:58 (twenty years ago)

The Secret Machines covered "Money (That's What I Want)" and made it a forlorn dirge.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 29 December 2005 23:30 (twenty years ago)

So...it sounds like what people have really got hold of here is normal songs covered by bands that you'd expect to do an "ironic" treatment. Not quite as fun...

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 29 December 2005 23:43 (twenty years ago)

ryan adams - wonderwall

― y, Friday, 30 December 2005 00:55 (twenty years ago)

Turin Brakes did a great cover of Modjo's "Lady".

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Friday, 30 December 2005 00:57 (twenty years ago)

I think both Fountains of Wayne "Baby One More Time" and Mountain Goats "The Sign" are utterly earnest -- both mean to show that a song corny indie fuxx are liable to ignore is actually a great pop song. Both succeed.

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Friday, 30 December 2005 01:09 (twenty years ago)

fair enough, guayaquil, but it's not max martin's fault that some indie fuxx may have ignored "baby one more time." there's nothing silly about the song (unless you want to declare all pop songs silly, which would be an entirely different thread, i'd think). there's also nothing earnest about it, and what makes fountains of wayne's version both boring and, ahem, silly, is that they actually do try to play it earnestly.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Friday, 30 December 2005 01:25 (twenty years ago)

exactly, fcc. britney already played it straight. obviously there's some intended levity there cuz how else is it supposed to get on pop radio, but it's still not really all that goofy.

― born-again christians in the old corral (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 30 December 2005 01:34 (twenty years ago)

radio pop = "silly"
indie rock = "earnest"

glad we have that cleared up

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Friday, 30 December 2005 01:36 (twenty years ago)

In keeping with the spirit rather than the letter of the thread, Lyle Lovett, Stand By Your Man

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Friday, 30 December 2005 03:21 (twenty years ago)

Ween, "The Shot Heard 'Round the World"

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Friday, 30 December 2005 05:25 (twenty years ago)

Actually there have been some totally straight covers of Ween songs that Ween did rather more goofy-style--Jon Auer's "Baby Bitch," Mary Lou Lord's "Birthday Boy"...

― Douglas (Douglas), Friday, 30 December 2005 07:54 (twenty years ago)

This is very amusing. I miss the ILM of three years ago.

― Atnevon (Atnevon), Friday, 30 December 2005 09:06 (twenty years ago)

gabneb, do you have a version of that?!

― anthony easton (anthony), Friday, 30 December 2005 09:33 (twenty years ago)

Perhaps not a silly song originally, but The Tindersticks' version of Pavement's Here brings out all the emotions that were, I feel, quite deeply hidden.

Also, whichever ILMer did that acoustic version of GG Allin's I Kill Everything I Fuck, which was awesome. Who is responsible for that?

― emil.y (emil.y), Friday, 30 December 2005 14:36 (twenty years ago)

The Flying Lizards - "Summertime Blues"

― Mike O. (Mike Ouderkirk), Saturday, 31 December 2005 05:30 (twenty years ago)

Red House Painters: Silly Love Songs

― Cunga (Cunga), Saturday, 31 December 2005 05:32 (twenty years ago)

Though I'm being repetitve, Mountain Goats' "The Sign" cover is absolutely brilliant.

― Tape Store (Tape Store), Saturday, 31 December 2005 06:02 (twenty years ago)

Van Halen's "Jump" - a remarkably silly song - as lovingly covered by Aztec Camera.
-- darren (saintetienne7...), December 29th, 2005
was it a bside ?

john farnahm covered black sabbath "black dog".

― retrogurl, Saturday, 31 December 2005 06:04 (twenty years ago)

Feel free to look upthread and insert one of the various qualifiers other people used before I say:
Husker Du- "Love Is All Around"

Also insert umlauts where appropriate.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 31 December 2005 09:04 (twenty years ago)

I've always wished that some really earnest indie rock would do a cover of the song "I've been thinking about you." Maybe like Wilco or something.

― Freud Junior (Freud Junior), Saturday, 31 December 2005 09:09 (twenty years ago)

Aztec Camera's "Jump" was the B-side to "All I Need is Everything" in the UK, it was also released as part of an EP in the US which made it probably their best-known track over there due to a fair amount of radio play. There's a live version on the "Somewhere In My Heart" 12 inch single as well.

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 31 December 2005 09:23 (twenty years ago)

Feel free to look upthread and insert one of the various qualifiers other people used before I say: Husker Du- "Love Is All Around"

i've registered a complaint and two qualifiers with the proper authorities. you should be hearing from them shortly.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Saturday, 31 December 2005 14:40 (twenty years ago)

>Van Halen's "Jump" - a remarkably silly song - as lovingly covered by >Aztec Camera.
>-- darren (saintetienne7...), December 29th, 2005

This cover was my introduction both to Aztec Camera AND Van Halen, all at the same time. Unfortunately, it skewed my view of both: I concluded Aztec Camera must be brilliant song writers and that Van Halen was a reflective band with poetic aspirations. Ah the irony!

Actually, while Aztec Camera were never brilliant (except in this cover), they were definitely a cut above most in the song writing department.

― infrathin (infrathin), Saturday, 31 December 2005 17:55 (twenty years ago)

>Van Halen's "Jump" - a remarkably silly song - as lovingly covered by >Aztec Camera.
>-- darren (saintetienne7...), December 29th, 2005
>This cover was my introduction both to Aztec Camera AND Van Halen, >all at the same time. Unfortunately, it skewed my view of both: I >concluded Aztec Camera must be brilliant song writers and that Van >Halen was a reflective band with poetic aspirations. Ah the irony!

>Actually, while Aztec Camera were never brilliant (except in this >cover), they were definitely a cut above most in the song writing >department.

The idea that AC's 'Jump', pleasant as it is, is somehow superior to 'High Land High Rain', the Postcard singles and the better WEA-period songs is so preposterous that I can'tbring myself to actually argue it.

― darren (darren), Saturday, 31 December 2005 18:53 (twenty years ago)

argue AGAINST it, natch.

― darren (darren), Saturday, 31 December 2005 18:53 (twenty years ago)

> Actually, while Aztec Camera were never brilliant...

You only ever heard 'Stray' then? Shame.

Back to the thread... Snuff 'I think we're alone now'

― Niall, Saturday, 31 December 2005 19:11 (twenty years ago)

if "i think we're alone now" is a silly song, then ILM has no purpose. (which i realize may in fact be the case, but still...)

but how about:

heart, "stairway to heaven"

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Saturday, 31 December 2005 23:08 (twenty years ago)

Diamanda Galas "Take The Skinheads Bowling"
-- dali madison's nut (do...) (webmail), Thursday 8:54 PM. (later) (link)

I frown puzzled, then smile, point, and go "ahaaaa" in a joey stylee...

Any road up, surprised no-ones mentioned Tori Amos' "Ring my Bell"

― mark grout (mark grout), Sunday, 1 January 2006 10:24 (twenty years ago)

Cinerama's cover of All The Things She Said is a big hit at Mippy Towers. The flipside of this thread is Elbow's accordion-tastic 'Independent Women'.

― Mippy (Mippy), Sunday, 1 January 2006 11:28 (twenty years ago)

How is Independent Women a sillier song than All The Things She Said? (obviously the Elbow cover is silly, yeah, but c'mon - ATTSS [in the Horn version, at least] is a straightforward song about romantic confusion, whereas Independent Women is by comparison a hypocritical frippery, coming from the same stable as Bills, Bills, Bills)

― kit brash (kit brash), Sunday, 1 January 2006 13:06 (twenty years ago)

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