Despite loving music and finding solace in its authentic lulling chords and poignant vocals, I must confess: I really, really adore...(gulp)...cover songs. Yes, yes, I know; they scream of impurities and, much like films, the sequels or remakes are never as good as the originals. Except...
There's the newer version of "Boys of Summer" which deserves credit simply for its reference to the Black Flag sticker on a Cadillac:
And even with my love for the twangy original country outlaws,
There are missteps in covers, don't get me wrong. (Like a new version of "American Pie" by...Madonna. Honestly, who heard about this and decided, Ooh, good idea!?) But perhaps my favorite cover is one many would consider sacrilege because the original version is, of course, stunning. After all, Louis Armstrong singing "What a Wonderful World" is timeless, but for me?
I need the song to have urgency and brightness and absolute joy; Joey Ramone brings that (and then some) to his rendition.
Red roses, too.
I see them bloom for me and you,
And I think to myself,
What a wonderful world.
I see skies of blue and clouds of white,
Bright sunny days; dark sacred nights.
And I think to myself,
What a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbows are so pretty in the skies
And also on the faces of the people walking by.
I see friends shaking hands saying, "How do you do?"
They're really saying, "I love you."
I see babies cry;
I watch them grow.
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know.
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world...
Yes, I think to myself:
What a wonderful world!
My friends, it doesn't matter if your path is fully original or a new twist on an old favorite: wherever you go, take time to enjoy this wonderful world.
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