Cover Songs

Hanif Abdurraqib is one of my favorite writers — he’s a poet and essayist who brings his passion for music into his work and loves to talk about the subject. He recently started a music podcast and spoke at length with Jeff Tweedy of Wilco about covers! In their conversation, they had this inherent reverence for the cover format — a way for an artist to show their own fandom and appreciation for the work of another artist. Covers are such a wholesome form of art, a way to bring a personal touch and a fresh look at a beloved song. Tweedy spoke of how he and his family regularly perform covers on Instagram live, but his son refuses to sing any song that doesn’t emotionally resonate with him. These covers are more than a chance to jam out for fun, they’re a unique form of expression. To sing a song in this way is to find personal meaning in the words of another and express it in one’s own unique voice.

Some of my favorite songs of all time are covers. Ta-ku’s “American Girl” covers Estelle’s “American Boy ft. Kanye West,” and imbues it with an entirely new quality. The poppy energy is replaced with a wistful, sensual vibe that completely changes the nature of the song. The lush production seems to pull you into a new world, where all that exists are the rich vocals of Wafia and Ta-ku himself. It’s an entirely different song.

And there are the songs that so many artists love and know and must cover. My favorite is “Creep” by Radiohead, about unrequited love and the associated feelings of self-disgust. It’s an exceedingly relatable song for many people, so it’s always exciting to hear different versions of it, from Prince’s guitar-filled version to Arlo Park’s somber piano ballad approach. In each, we find a different set of emotions over the same notes, the same words.

I wonder what it would look like for someone to do a cover of a poem, or a film, or any art form other than music. There’s nothing new under the sun, so why can’t we be more straightforward in saying that this work of art is a cover of someone else’s?

This newfound excitement for covers led me to pick up the dusty guitar my brother bought when he was in high school. I’ve spent two days trying to properly play two chords, and the metal strings are starting to form semi-permanent marks on my fingertips. The experience reminds me of how incredible it is that people learn instruments at all, that so many people have endured the discomfort and the frustration in pursuit of art. Most folks who learn guitar don’t do it to become famous or make money, but just to jam, just to bring their voice to the words of the music that they love.