4, 3, 2, 1 ...

So he's trilingual, right?

I never understood why someone would "retell" a story someone else wrote.

Sweet Jesus I just had an idea. I'm going to write the 7th Harry Potter book! That'll work right? See you guys in a few years when I'm a billionaire.

Ah German language of the angels.

I love the thing the guitarists do with their heads.

Ach du lieber!

does not approve

/because his version is better

Bhasayate: does not approve

/because his version is better

There are at least 2 things wrong with this post. And I'll go ahead and tell you them:

1. A cover can not be "better" than the original, and

2. Sue Jorge covered Bowie's "Space Oddity" in Portuguese, but Tom Schilling wrote a song called Major Tom, which was not the same song as Space Oddity, but rather a retelling of it.

meh.

WaltzingMathilda: Bhasayate: does not approve

/because his version is better

There are at least 2 things wrong with this post. And I'll go ahead and tell you them:

1. A cover can not be "better" than the original, and

2. Sue Jorge covered Bowie's "Space Oddity" in Portuguese, but Tom Schilling wrote a song called Major Tom, which was not the same song as Space Oddity, but rather a sort of sequel of it.

meh.

Peter Schilling .... oops. Too much "Tom" on the mind.

anyway, still meh

I like the song and it seems to flow a little nicer in English. German gets pretty harsh (to my ears) and that doesn't seem like it lines up with most of the tune.

And I'll go on record as saying I really appreciate this song as an 'alternate' to Space Oddity. In fact, I'd call on more artists to do this instead of their usual "take a cherished classic and ruin it" -- it can be done well, but it usually is not. I don't know if I can name a song that needs this sort of treatment, but I bet they are out there.

WaltzingMathilda: 1. A cover can not be "better" than the original

Usually, I'd agree. But there are potential counter-examples. consider Hendrix's cover of Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" or even Cash's cover of "Hurt."

WaltzingMathilda: 2. Sue Jorge covered Bowie's "Space Oddity" in Portuguese, but Tom Schilling wrote a song called Major Tom, which was not the same song as Space Oddity, but rather a retelling of it.

Doh. I got confused there and farked up. I'm at work at can't look at the youtube. I somehow thought that this Schilling song was a remake of "Space Oddity." But I wouldn't have done that if I could only have looked at the youtube.

/face palm
//i think it's because when i think of Bowie, in any sense, "Life on Mars" comes to mind, and then I thought of Jorge there
///then i thought this schilling guy redid "life on mars"
//then i thought, hell, Jorge did a better remake of "life on mars" than this schilling guy
/but yeah, still, epic fail on my part

//cries in corner

Hmm, I just realized that this is the only "retelling" I can name right now. Does anybody know of a song covering the contents of another song without, you know, actually being a cover version. And I mean with a rather direct link, not just two songs "accidentally" covering the problems of teenage love or somesuch.

mhd: Does anybody know of a song covering the contents of another song without, you know, actually being a cover version.

This isn't quite what we have in mind, but perhaps it'll help to spark someone's memory?

Sometimes bands to 'genre' covers or 'artist' covers of their style, but not the song.

John Lennon, for instance, was trying to "write a Bob Dylan" song when he wrote "You've got to Hide Your Love Away." Another example would be Weird Al's "Dare to Be Stupid", which is totally in the style of Devo, but not any of their songs per se -- it's sort of a 'response', if you will, to Devo, etc.

But these are like 'retelling' of a style, not any paticular song, and aren't lyrical responses...

/trying to help out here ...
//i'll keep thinking ...

Bhasayate: John Lennon, for instance, was trying to "write a Bob Dylan" song when he wrote "You've got to Hide Your Love Away." Another example would be Weird Al's "Dare to Be Stupid", which is totally in the style of Devo, but not any of their songs per se -- it's sort of a 'response', if you will, to Devo, etc.

You know I never liked Cash's cover of Hurt. I mean, I respect the man and therefore don't think my opinion is better than people who did like it better, but I really didn't like it. And also, as a lifelong Dylan fan, I love his version of Watchtower the most ... I know, I know. Hendrix did a wonderful job and therefore his version is also one of my favorites.

Anyway on this post about the "genre" covering ... even though Hunky Dory was a "folk" album, I still feel like "Song for Bob Dylan" is kind of like what you're talking about. In other words, you could say that Bowie wasn't "trying to write a Bob Dylan" song because the whole album is folky, but I'd say that for that particular song, he was paying enormous tribute to the man and the genre.

Anyway, I said "meh" to your post earlier because I didn't want you to think I was "epic failing" you. Just pointing it out. Your post did introduce me to the Seu Jorge sessions so, thanks for that, they are awesome.

WaltzingMathilda: Bhasayate: does not approve

/because his version is better

There are at least 2 things wrong with this post. And I'll go ahead and tell you them:

1. A cover can not be "better" than the original, and

2. Sue Jorge covered Bowie's "Space Oddity" in Portuguese, but Tom Schilling wrote a song called Major Tom, which was not the same song as Space Oddity, but rather a retelling of it.

meh.

I beg to differ. Shatners' version of Common People is infinitely better than Blurs and quite possibly the best R & R song ever recorded.
/so there.

Lipspinach:

Thanks man that was awesome. God I love Shatner.

Shatner, Ben Folds, and Joe Jackson on Leno doing Common People (new window)

Lipspinach:

Thanks man that was awesome. God I love Shatner.

Shatner, Ben Folds, and Joe Jackson on Leno doing Common People (new window)

That whole album is full of win. Henry Rollins with Shat on "I Can't Get Behind That" is golden.

Babelfish sucks:

~~

Thoroughly through-GEC-plotted stands you there and everything waits clearly for the start. Expirimenten argue about a few data. The crew has then after a few questions , but that COUNT down runs. Effectiveness bestimt the Hendeln Man relies blindly on the other one Everyone white exactly which on it depends , everyone is in the stress, but Majer Tom makes a joke It takes Dan off and! Completely detached by the earth the spaceship floats completely weightlessly The gravitational pull of the earth strength is overcome Everything run perfectly already for hours Scientific experiments, but which are useful of end imagines to major Tom In the control centre one becomes panisch there The course of the cap does not stimt at all You can hear hello major Tom, Woll' n you the project in such a way destroy, but it kannn anything hörn it does not continue to float Completely detached by the earth the spaceship floats completely weightlessly The earth gleams blue Its last radio komt: Me my wife greets And it grows silent Down still the egoists mourn, Major Tom imagines if would know here a light leads me by the universe, that does not know it yet, I comes soon Me becomes cold Vóllig detached by the earth floats the spaceship completely weightlessly

WaltzingMathilda: I never understood why someone would "retell" a story someone else wrote

Romeus & Juliet > Palace of Pleasure > Romeo & Juliet > West Side Story

rocinante721: WaltzingMathilda: I never understood why someone would "retell" a story someone else wrote

Romeus & Juliet > Palace of Pleasure > Romeo & Juliet > West Side Story

The Romeo and Juliet with Leonardo DiCaprio was the best version of that story I have seen. But I havent seen Palace of Pleasure and havent read Romeus and Juliet (although I am intrigued after doing a little research).

rocinante721: Babelfish sucks:

That's because the German transcription was screwed up before Babelfish even saw it :)

CarnySaur: So he's trilingual, right?

Yeah, he'll TRI anything at least once...

Wait, what?

/Isn't Herr Schilling from Germany making this his first language?
//Half Kraut myself

Doh --- thread's gettin old --- hope someone reads it eh...


Lipspinach:

I beg to differ. Shatners' version of Common People is infinitely better than Blurs and quite possibly the best R & R song ever recorded.
/so there.


oO Shatner covers a BLUR song? LOL. I'm a HUGE BLUR fan, and I didn't know about that ... i'm gonna go find it now hehe ... =p

OH, and as long as we're talkin about covers and Cpt. Kirk, how about that version of "Rocket Man"? It's so corny, it ROCKS. No, it just rocks.

Cpt Kirk does "Rocket Man" (new window)

WaltzingMathilda:

hehe NP, mate, I was joking around ....

I had pretty much the same reaction to Cash's cover when I first heard it. But when I saw the video, it hit me. HARD. Unlike most videos, the one for Cash's cover of "Hurt" really, really captures the vibe of the song. Simply amazing.

Interestingly, Reznor, when Rick Rubin called him and asked him if it was cool for Cash to cover the song, was all "cool." When he got the demo his reaction was "well, that's kind of weird." I think "meh" would capture it perfectly. But then he saw the video and was blown away. If you haven't seen it, I recommend you do! Then watch the commentary eh.

Vid of Cash's cover (new window)

Reznor's commentary on Cash's cover of "Hurt" (new window)

I give NIN and Trent some shiat sometimes, but mostly because he's uneven, I think. But, man, I do love me some NIN.



"I still feel like "Song for Bob Dylan" is kind of like what you're talking about. In other words, you could say that Bowie wasn't "trying to write a Bob Dylan" song because the whole album is folky, but I'd say that for that particular song, he was paying enormous tribute to the man and the genre."

Right -- this is what I'm thinking about. In fact, Bob Dylan did very much the same thing, so we've got another example, and more like that "Space Oddity" / "Major Tom" thing, I think.

Dylan "Song For Woody" on the youtube (new window)

"I said "meh" to your post earlier because I didn't want you to think I was "epic failing" you."

That's cool mate. I thought my train of thought there was pretty funny ... lol ... it's all good ("Epic" by the way, is a GREAT FNM song... hehe)

"Your post did introduce me to the Seu Jorge sessions so, thanks for that, they are awesome."

=D Danke! Yeah, that's some really good stuff ...

mhd: Hmm, I just realized that this is the only "retelling" I can name right now. Does anybody know of a song covering the contents of another song without, you know, actually being a cover version. And I mean with a rather direct link, not just two songs "accidentally" covering the problems of teenage love or somesuch.

There was that callback in "Volcano Girls" (Veruca Salt) where they make reference to "Seether..." I'm sure there are others, but that's the first one that immediately comes to mind.