BAD COVER VERSION 011: HANG MYSELF WHEN I GET ENOUGH ROPE

[defrog]

When is a cover version not a cover version? Does it count when someone takes the same music and rewrites the lyrics – say, Puff Daddy’s “I’ll Be Missing You” (The Police’s “I’ll Be Watching You”) or P.Diddy’s “Come With Me” (Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir”)? Maybe not. But sometimes it’s also a language issue. Someone wants cover a song in their own language, but lyrics don’t always translate that easily, and so you end up with all new lyrics.

Which brings us to this week’s entry, in which a glam-rock song about bored rich kids getting high is covered by an eccentric teenage East German political activist and becomes a song about being addicted to television. To the videos!

THE SONG: “White Punks On Dope”

THE ORIGINAL: The Tubes

COMMENTS: Their first single is still their signature song in many ways – even the visuals are hard to beat, with Fee Waybill doing his Quay Lude character. A classic glam-rock moment.

THE COVER: Nina Hagen Band

COMMENTS: For her first album, Hagen covered “White Punks On Dope” as “TV Glotzer” – same music, different lyrics. As covers go, the music is almost identical, but Hagen’s own OTT singing style is what makes the difference. And she has the stage presence and showmanship to pull it off live.

WINNER: It’s a tie! Hagen doesn’t top the Tubes version so much as equal it on her own terms. It’s her signature song as much as the Tubes’, at least in her home country.

PRODUCTION NOTE: Motley Crue also did a cover of “White Punks On Dope”. The less said about it, the better, but if you really want to hear it, it’s on the YouTubes.

Next week: Van Halen vs The Minutemen!

Mom and Dad moved to Hollywood,

This is dF

Comments

[missusmint.livejournal.com]

Thanks for sharing this!! I adore the Tubes but never heard Nina's version.

[def-fr0g-42.livejournal.com]

Just when I was thinking I was the only Tubes fan left on the planet...

And yr welcome!