Daniel Johnston is your favorite songwriter’s favorite songwriter. The legend was a standout figure in the outsider and lo-fi music scenes of the 1990s. His music still touches the hearts of listeners today. Naturally, plenty of famous musicians have covered his works, and I’m a fan of the following three Daniel Johnston covers. You might just become a fan of these renditions, too.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Go” by Sparklehorse and The Flaming Lips
Sparklehorse and The Flaming Lips together are a recipe for success. When you add the arresting songwriting prowess of Daniel Johnston, the result is really something magical. Sparklehorse and The Flaming Lips delivered a gorgeous cover of “Go” back in the day, and it has a spiritual element to it that stands out. The song was released back in 2004 for the compilation album The Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered Covered.
“Blue Clouds” by Mercury Rev
Daniel Johnston often explored themes in his music that revolved around love and heartbreak. He had a muse named Laurie Allen who was the focus of many of his love songs, despite the two never being involved. “Blue Clouds” is one song that touches on that uncomfortable subject of unrequited love, though it’s far more uplifting than one might expect.
Mercury Rev delivered an absolutely beautiful cover of this song with a psychedelic edge to it. The song, like Sparklehorse and The Flaming Lips’ cover of “Go”, was released on the compilation album The Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered Covered.
“Some Things Last A Long Time” by Lana Del Rey
This cover is both surprising and not surprising at all. Lana Del Rey is honestly the kind of person I would expect to have reverence for Daniel Johnston, and it’s not shocking to me that she makes our list of covers. However, very few big names in pop music have even spoken about Johnston’s influence, so Del Rey delivering a cover of “Some Things Last A Long Time” is probably a bit odd to her fans. Those fans might also be surprised to learn she produced Johnston’s famed 2015 short documentary, Hi, How Are You Daniel Johnston?
This cover actually makes it to the documentary, and what a gorgeous cover it is. Lana Del Rey and Daniel Johnston have historically been artists who weren’t afraid to get vulnerable, so I’d say this is an apt cover if there ever was one.
Photo via Shutterstock
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