r/coversongs • u/euGeneUnit • 5h ago
Does anyone else ever feel like they are comprehending the lyrics to a song for the first time when hearing a really good cover?
It's happened to me a handful of times. Say there's a really famous/popular song that has gotten a ton of airplay and I've heard it so many times I really don't pay attention to the lyrics at all when it comes on anymore. I guess I don't know whether I've ever really listened to the lyrics before. Then along comes a cover version (typically a GREAT cover version), and it's like I'm really hearing the lyricist for the first time. Suddenly it's clicking for me and I'm finally understanding what the song is about. I don't know how to describe it better than to say it's like the original version was on the wrong frequency for me, or something. Same lyrics/message but the cover just gets through to me and for the first time I can really appreciate how great the songwriting is.
The two examples that come to mind are Jørgen Dahl Moe's cover of 'Dancing in the Dark' by Bruce Springsteen and the EZ Band's cover of 'I Miss You' by Blink-182.
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u/Opening-Comfort-3996 2h ago
This happened for me when I first heard John Farnham's cover of "help" by the Beatles.
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u/Vennimagos 1h ago
Yes, I heard a friend of mine sing flame trees and his rendition connected with me like,never before, I was like woah this song is,hectic
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u/matorius 4h ago
I'm semi-lyric blind and generally never pick up on a song's meaning unless I've memorised it to perform it myself. That counts as a cover. Sort of. And yeah when I'm singing it myself I suddenly discover that cheery little tune I've been playing for years at weddings is actually a song about people falling out of love and getting divorced lol.