So, for those of you who don’t know, I’m Australian. I know I’ve been one for twenty-five years now, and it’s a bit too late to see someone about changing that, so I figure I’d better just roll with it. Now, in Australia, we have this little government-funded radio station called Triple J. It’s an Australian institution, no matter what Reddit says, and growing up, I spent every day to and from school listening to Triple J.
Every Friday, they put on a little segment they like to call Like a Version. It was undoubtedly one of the highlights of my schooling life, listening to awesome artists cover great songs and putting their own unique spin on it. Getting together with mates between class and frothing over the latest cover made math class at 9 am a bit more manageable. I was thinking about that segment the other day, which then led to thinking about my favourite parodies and cover songs.
After a while, I decided I needed to get them out of my head, and what better way to do that than inflict them on an unwitting audience? Fear not; I have been merciful and only chosen the choice cuts. It’s a bit hard when the list is three pages long, but I somehow managed.
Please note that some of these have some crude language… slap a big Parental Advisory sticker and let’s dive in!
Starting off the list, we’ve got one of the first Like a Versions I ever heard while on the way to school. The original by Aussie band Bluejuice is an exceptional track, full of energy and passion that never fails to get me amped up for a workout or just the day ahead. Then, this South Australian band comes into the studio and injects another layer of pure adrenaline that has me powering through the rest of my day.
Going across the ditch and from the positive to negative emotional spectrum, we’ve got Kiwi sensation Flight of the Conchords with a song all about times you’ve had your feelings hurt. To be fair, any of these guys’ exceptional songs could be included in here – from their ode to proper foreplay and business socks to a tirade about bank fees and fruit sellers, but there’s something just so relatable about missing birthdays or no one noticing your casserole.
It’s a 2-minute and 49-second long dick joke. What’s not to love?
Fish and chips is a classic Australian takeaway up there with Maccas and a filthy kebab at the end of a big night out. However, there was one unsung hero of the fish and chip shop – the humble scallop. Forget potato cakes or crab sticks; the scallop is all you need alongside your deep-fried fish and chips. In 2001, the brave hip-hop group The Herd raised awareness of this with a song that gets your head bopping.
We’ve all had those days where nothing seems to go your way, right? Brisbane rap-rock outfit Butterfingers certainly has. This song features some of the worst luck ever committed to an audio track that’s tragically funny with the relatable nature of going to a job you hate but needing it to pay the bills. This song has got me through a lot of rough days at work, and if nothing else, at least I know the day ended better than this guy.
Bringing it all back to the starting point, we’re closing this list off with another Like a Version, and this one is certainly the most moving for me. They cover the anti-Vietnam song by Redgum from 1975 detailing a returning soldier’s struggle with PTSD and returning to society after the hell of war. I had never heard the original song before hearing this cover, and even without the context, something in the lyrics and performance resonated with me. The song takes you on this journey like it is your own and drives home the horrors of war. The film clip and tonal shift in the last third is like a gut punch that gets me every single listen. This is the one song I find myself murmuring to myself all the time, and for good reason.
What are some of your favourite parody/cover songs? Are you surprised Weird Al didn’t make the list? Let me know in the comments below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDl9ZMfj6aE
Alien Ant Farm’s Smooth Criminal is still one of the best covers EVER
oh wow! Forgot about that one!