Why Do We ‘Cover’ Songs? (Part 1)
Sparked as I often am by the audio-ass-kickings of this fellow, I embark this week on a particularly focused journey inward to discover the “why” of all my recurring activities. Why do I do the things I do? Why do I like the things I like? Why do I watch the types of films and shows I watch? Why do I prefer the kinds of music I prefer? (etc). What essential values underly all of my surface actions, preferences and pursuits?
Most of that stuff I’m not going to bore you with, but there’s one aspect that I thought was relevent to what I do here. Cover songs. I like them. I collect them. I perform them. I share them on the internet. Why?
Why do I so delight in discovering new covers, such as this teary-eye-producing gem? Why do I listen with such intense interest to all the subtle (and not-so-subtle) differences between interpretations and originals? And why do I ‘cover’ (interpret) other people’s songs as opposed to only writing and performing my own?
The real difficult question here is where to begin.
Most people who criticize the idea of covering another person’s music really like to harp on the issue of ‘originality’. Nevermind that the notion of ‘originality’ is as questionable as the notion of ‘objectivity’ (as in, can we really seperate ourselves from our influences any more than we can seperate ourselves out from our own subjectivity?); but it’s not only that. There’s just so much more to being a (successful) artist than simply being original, and there’s more to being ‘original’ than always creating pure novelty from scratch. I liken art, in these cases, to chemistry. Collage art, for example, recombining existing elements into something new, is very chemistry-like. So is DJ-ing, sampling, certain film techniques (all these I consider valid art forms) and even language itself.
And so is combining one’s own unique musical style with someone else’s words and chord progression, often giving it new ‘life’ and added dimension (through contrast) in the process. It’s chemistry, it’s collaboration (even with the dead). It’s the Third Mind.
There’s also more to life than just being an artist, at least in terms of the roles you play within the greater work of art that is your life. (That’s another post, or book, all its own).
For example, I can tell you right now what one of, if not the main reason I listen to and play cover songs is, and it isn’t the pursuit of great artistic mastery. It’s nothing more than ‘mere’ enjoyment. Plain, down-to-earth, good old-fashioned fun. I take great pleasure in the simple act of playing a song I love, not through a stereo (which exists outside of me, and only lets me consume or analyse the music from the outside), but through my own body and my own essence, and in my own way. It’s almost like channeling, evoking the spirit of Thom Yorke, or Bob Dylan, or… in a lot of cases for some reason, Dolly Parton.
Anyone who’s even so much as tapped along or sung along to a favorite song will understand: there’s just something very satisfying about feeling a song, particularly a much-loved song, coursing through you, vibrating through your vocal chords, your fingers, your feet, your body; becoming, in a very immediate, physical sense, part of you, if only for that brief strand of moments. A ‘cover song’ is, in essence, just an extension of that natural, healthy human urge to sing along; to engage with the music as opposed to just passively consuming it. And if, in doing so, you happen to produce something beautiful, or just neat in its own right, something others might enjoy, why not also share it?
Of course, I’m still an artist at heart, so I do value originality and creativity a great deal as well. But the key words there are as well. I’m simply not interested in being one of these ‘purist’ (extremist, elitist, annoying) artists who only value originality, at all costs, then wear their obscurity as a badge of honor. I see no honor in that.
As an artist, I prioritize creativity and innovation, but as a person, like I said, I value fun just as highly as I do originality. I didn’t always, or rather, I didn’t always think I should, so I tried not to. I tried to be one of those elitist assholes for a time, and during that time I annoyed the hell out of my less intellectual, more fun-loving friends. But I’ve come to see their side and in fact mostly agree with it. Now, I just value things done well and with sincerity, ‘original’ or not. I value beauty, original or not. I value variety, multiple perspectives. I value keeping a balance between all of my values. I value a whole damn lot of things, but you get the idea. And all of the above play into my appreciation for cover songs.
All sorts of other interests and influences probably factor in as well, and I’m still delving into the ‘why’s of all of the things I do, not just this. As I go along, each revelation in one area seems to further reflect on the others. It’s a bit confusing and quite illuminating at the same time. In any case, my point is, it’s still ongoing. And it’s all out of order. So this post is a bit on the fly. Okay, a lot on the fly. Nonetheless, onward…
From as early on as I can remember, music was an integral part of my life growing up. My Mom being a singer, we used to sing together, a lot. I have very warm, fuzzy feelings associated then, with just singing songs. Any songs. It didn’t matter. From nursery rhymes to Fleetwood Mac to whatever (I don’t really remember)… I know we used to sing this song a lot, and it pretty much encapsulates (and maybe is partially ‘to blame’ for) this sort of lax attitude I’ve developed about music.
[audio:Carpenters-Sing-A-Song.mp3]
Meanwhile, my Dad was always cranking up the Oldies. And of course, performers back in those days were covering each other like it was going out of style (which it actually did do later on, for awhile). That was one of the main ways record companies competed. If a song was successful, they’d get one of their artists to do a version of it, there’d be chart wars… the record execs would cash in… and rinse, and repeat.
And lets not forget that most ‘Oldies’ (50s, early 60s), even the first versions to hit the radio and make the songs popular, were usually already ‘covers’ — in the darker, more literal sense — rip-offs of black musicians’ songs, being performed by white artists. Wikipedia:
“rock-and-roll disc jockey Dick Clark makes the strongest case, however, for the term “cover” actually being used (once again, quite literally) as a “covering” of one record on a (radio station’s) turntable by another record; for example, a black group’s recording being “covered” by a white group’s rendition, thereby preventing radio play for the original (since only the record “on top” could be played on a broadcast turntable)”
But I didn’t know any of this as a little kid. All I took away from it all was the sense that it was normal and good for a song to have multiple versions done in various styles by a variety of artists. And that later included funny versions by comedic artists like Weird Al, who got frequent rotation during my ‘tween ‘ years. Oh… and prior to that there was, of course, the Mini Pops (did I just say that out loud?)… moving on.
Even later, during my most angst-ridden, clueless, self-righteous, underground indie purist, elitist (annoying) teenaged rebel artist with chip on my shoulder phase, I had no problem with artists doing remakes, as long as they were ‘cool’ artists, doing ‘cool’ remakes. Most of my favorite bands had at least one cover song in their repertoire. My favorite-favorite Canadian indie bands from the east coast, Eric’s Trip, Sloan, Thrush Hermit, etc., were all friends and did covers a-plenty of each others’ songs. It was a nod of mutual respect between artists, a way to support each other by cross-polinating their fan-bases, and I think, just one more way to be creative and have fun. I saw this as all part of ‘the life’ — the musician’s life that I aspired to. And I still feel much the same way.
Multiple perspectives are better than one. Multiple interpretations of a song are better than one. Familiarity and originality can and do co-exist. If there was only one song allowed to be played, ever, there would still be musicians doing creative work based soley on that. Creativity and novelty are not always synonymous.
The friendship and community aspect I just mentioned, where artists in a particular ’scene’ cover each other’s stuff is, as I’ve said, a fun and mutually supportive practice, and I think it’s much more so nowadays than it was back in, say, the 50s, when it was mostly about rivalry and orchestrated in large part by businessmen with dollar signs in their eyes.
comments
3 Responses to “Why Do We ‘Cover’ Songs? (Part 1)”
Leave A Comment
(A continuation from Part 1)… …
The music from the around the late 50s to the 90s [and beyond in the country folk venue[ is some of the very best popular music ever written and performed in the history of popula1r music and to ignore it in some idealistic pursuit of total complete originality is like making a square ball.Doesnt look great doesnt work great but its original.
It would take forever to explain the whole thing but why ignore the best music ever written the best guitar effects the best licks .It was the peak of the baby boomer artists and they will outnumber the younger generation for quite some time.
So for every talented artist we have now they had 4 or 5 then do the math on that.
Almost all musically creative styles have already been explored you can bring a new twist to it,you can bring a beautiful voice to it but to ignore it entirely is to head for the square ball and there are too many around already.
Thats why the old artists are touring again to sold out crowds because of the square ball.
And on and on it goes as far as doing other peoples songsImitation IS the sincerest form of flattery The old songs in Rock in particular are fantastic The new country is the old rock and then theres rap whats inbetween is up for debate partially because of the square ball………..
Peter Age 58
Musical Experience…… Some
Good analogy Peter. The square ball. And yeah, for the most part I agree with you. There is a ton of really good original music nowadays, too, and room for still more. But I’m probably holding a much looser definition of ‘originality’ than you are.