3 Obscure Covers That Flip the Originals on Their Head

Cover songs accomplish a good deal of things. If successful, they make some cash for both artists involved and breathe new life into an already storied classic. Now, for the most part, artists covering classic songs typically stay somewhat true to the original, as it seemingly leads to a better chance of success and respects the original artist’s vision. However, every now and then, some musicians have a totalitarian grip on the song and change nearly everything other than the lyrics, and more often than not, these obscure covers fall into obscurity.

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The covers that fall into this category typically do so for one ultimate reason: They don’t follow the blueprint. This can be frustrating, as some people just want to hear the song they already know and love. Though for more avant-garde music fans, these covers are gems, as they exemplify musical innovation at its finest. With all that in mind, here are three obscure covers that flip the originals on their head.

“Jolene” by Me First And The Gimme Gimmes

Dolly Parton‘s 1973 hit “Jolene” is a staple in both country and popular music. Some may argue that it is a perfect song in every way, shape, and form. Well, be that as it may, the 90s punk rock band, Me First and The Gimme Gimmes, seemingly didn’t think so, as they released a cover of Parton’s song that juxtaposes it in nearly every way.

Released in 2006, Me First and The Gimme Gimmes take Parton’s 70s classic and turn it into a 2000s thrasher punk single. When you hear the first couple of notes of the song, it is, quite frankly, jarring, but that is wherein lies its quality, as Me First and The Gimme Gimmes essentially gutted this song and created something almost completely new.

“Subterranean Homesick Blues” by Peter Morén

Bob Dylan‘s “Subterranean Homesick Blues” was a one-of-a-kind song when it was released in 1965. It was, in a way, one of the very first popularized forms of rap, and consequently, solidified itself as one of the more unique and popular songs of the 60s. While Dylan created a unique song, the Swedish musician Peter Morén turned it into a flat-out and pleasantly weird cover.

Upon listening to Morén’s cover, it is pretty difficult to place it into one particular genre. It is a barebones cover, as it features a continuous bass line, a bit of guitar, a bit of organ, and Morén singing the infamous lyrics out of key and off tempo. Needless to say, it is entirely different than Dylan’s rendition, and it will without a doubt throw you for a whirl.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Jake Shimabukuro

Queen‘s “Bohemian Rhapsody” is epic, operatic, and a sprawling piece of music that covers a lot of different bases. In other words, it is a difficult song to cover if you try to match Queen punch for punch. Though if you strip the song of all its parts, that task seemingly becomes a bit more manageable, and that is what Jake Shimabukuro does.

Jake Shimabukuro’s cover of Queen’s classic merely features him and his ukulele. He does not sing, nor feature any other instruments, and as a result, he turns the glam rock staple into a song that fuses island music and jazz. It’s one of the most obscure covers out there, and quite an excellent one at that.

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