Song-swapping has been a feature of traditional folk and classic country music since their inception, which makes these genres wellsprings of cover material as countless artists cut and record other songwriters’ songs. In some cases, the cover version becomes more famous—and rightfully so. But in other instances, the originals maintain a sense of authenticity and musical integrity that no cover version manages to match.
Videos by American Songwriter
I did a deep dive into eight classic country songs that have notable cover versions. Then, I compared the two. So, now the real question is: do we have the same musical taste or not?
Sons of the Pioneers vs. Marty Robbins: “Cool Water”
The Sons of the Pioneers were the first musicians to cover “Cool Water”, which Bob Nolan wrote in the late 1930s. However, Marty Robbins’ Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs version is arguably the better rendition. Robbins’ version has a casual swing to it, almost like the narrator has succumbed to his thirsty fate. The Sons of the Pioneers’ quick clop makes it sound like they’re still hoofing their way across the sun-baked desert, looking for a sip of “cool, clear water.”
Blaze Foley vs. John Prine: “Clay Pigeons”
Seeing as I live just a stone’s throw away from the Green River “where paradise lay” that John Prine sings about in “Paradise”, I have a strong sense of pride and admiration for the mailman-turned-songwriter. And while Prine’s version of “Clay Pigeons” is as poignant, straightforward, and heartstring-tugging as the rest of his catalogue, I’d argue the song’s original writer, Blaze Foley, plays the role of a chainsmoking bus rider just a touch more believably than Prine did.
Waylon Jennings vs. Linda Ronstadt: “Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line”
The next classic country song on this list technically pits two cover versions against each other. Waylon Jennings wasn’t the first to record “Only Daddy that’ll Walk the Line”. That was Jim Alley. However, I’d argue that Linda Ronstadt had both men beat with her feminized version, “Only Mama That’ll Walk the Line”, which she released on her 1969 album, Hand Sown … Home Grown, becoming a signature song for her. Blame it on my affinity for a female perspective.
George Jones vs. Chris Stapleton: “Tennessee Whiskey”
Again, we have two covers going head-to-head. But the fact that you would probably hear Chris Stapleton’s silky smooth voice riffing in your head when you think of “Tennessee Whiskey” should be all the proof you need that the contemporary country star has beat out the song’s original performer, George Jones. The “Rolls-Royce of Country Music” had a hit with “Tennessee Whiskey” in 1983. Still, it’s virtually impossible to compete with Stapleton’s vocal prowess.
Willie Nelson vs. Patsy Cline: “Crazy”
Before Willie Nelson was a bona fide star in his own right, he was cutting his teeth as a songwriter, during which time he wrote “Crazy”, a song that Patsy Cline would make famous in 1961. While Nelson’s version of this classic country song is certainly admirable, there’s something so lonesome and impassioned in Cline’s performance that puts it a step ahead of the Redheaded Stranger’s. Amazingly, this iconic cover version almost never came to be, as Cline wasn’t initially a fan of the song.
Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard vs. Townes Van Zandt: “Pancho and Lefty”
Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard’s version of the country classic, “Pancho and Lefty”, is undeniably a great cover. Still, I don’t think it beats the plaintive melancholy that the song’s original writer, Townes Van Zandt, imbued in all of his music. Van Zandt’s delivery isn’t flashy or performative. It’s almost as if an old, straight-shooter kind of friend is recounting a devastatingly sad story without so much as flinching.
Bobbie Gentry vs. Reba McEntire: “Fancy”
Reba McEntire first released “Fancy” in 1991 after years of fighting for the chance to do so. The song became a signature track for the country music star. But the original songwriter, Bobbie Gentry, released her own stunning version of the song in __ on the album of the same name. Gentry’s smoky, raspy voice gave her original version of this classic country a world-weary edge that made it sound like she really was Fancy.
Anita Carter vs. Johnny Cash: “Ring of Fire”
The Man in Black is undoubtedly the artist most people think of when they think of the song “Ring of Fire”. However, Anita Carter—sister to June Carter, the song’s original writer and future wife to Johnny Cash—recorded her own version of “Ring of Fire” before Cash. Her crystalline voice, lilting the words “ring of fire” into a long, lonesome, reverb-laden yodel, makes this song all the more emotionally haunting. Cash’s ring of fire seems self-made, whereas Carter’s seems like it was formed by the hands of her lover.
Photo by Charlie Gillett/Redferns
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.