3 Songs That Are So Iconic You’d Never Think the Artist Didn’t Originally Write Them

A lot of artists like to have a hand in writing the songs that they put out. However, sometimes outside songs are just too good to pass up. Here are three songs that you’d never think weren’t originally written by their singer, simply because they are just so them.

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“The House That Built Me” by Miranda Lambert

“The House That Built Me” is perhaps the most well-written song in all of Lambert’s catalog, but true fans know that the country star didn’t use her writing chops on this one. The song, which became a Top 10 hit, was actually written by Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin.

This tune hits especially hard for the Lamberts in particular, who lost their house due to a few bad business deals several decades earlier. Given her family’s history, the song might as well have been written by Miranda herself.

“It was so many mixed emotions during that time because we actually lost everything we owned. We actually lost a house that we built with our own hands,” Miranda’s father, Rick Lambert, told Today.

“It’s like the persons that wrote that song were channeling into our lives at that horrible but great time in our lives.”

“I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston

Houston sings this song with such gusto. If you’ve never heard the other versions of the song, it’s hard to imagine it being done by anyone else.

However, Dolly Parton actually penned this one in 1973. For Dolly, the song was meant to be a way to say goodbye to her business partner at the time, Porter Wagoner, who she felt was holding her back.

For years, Dolly Parton had gained notoriety as the “girl singer” on The Porter Wagoner Show.

“I really felt like I needed to move on.” She told Howard Stern of that time in her life. “I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life being a girl singer. I knew my destiny.” Parton shared, “I knew that I had to continue doing what I felt… drawn to do.”

For Parton, the song marked the end of an era in her career. For Houston, it became one of the most definitive songs of hers.

“Girls Just Want To Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper

When you think of Cyndi Lauper, you instantly think of this song, whether you grew up in the 80s or not. Lauper has been known to have a hand in many of her hits, like “Time After Time”. However, this one was written and recorded by songwriter Robert Hazard. What’s more, it was also originally intended to be sung from a male perspective.

While Cyndi didn’t come up with the idea for the song, she did tweak some of the lyrics as suggested by her producer.

“I was trying really hard to make an anthem that would inspire women and open the doors to all women,” Lauper would tell People. “Not just one group of women, but every little girl could see herself and realize that she too could have a joyful experience in life.”

Photo by: David Redfern/Redferns