UPDATE: Want to see another great original and cover? Check out Dolly Parton and Whitney Houston doing their own versions of Parton’s “I’ll Always Love You.”
I had not heard of the pop singer Robyn until recently when podcaster Brian Ibbott did an episode of Coverville devoted to her. I enjoyed the show back when it streamed in mid-September, but I was reminded of it when I heard singer/songwriter Lucy Wainright Roche perform a version of Robyn’s hit “Call Your Girlfriend” on Mountain Stage’s 30th Anniversary show.
(Mountain Stage is a live-music show produced by West Virginia Public Radio for the last 30 years. It has featured country, indie, roots, and just about every other kind of music over the years. If you ever get the chance to attend a recording of the show, do so!)
In this cover, Lucy Wainright Roche transforms Robyn’s upbeat pop song into a sorrowful ballad and completely changes the feel of the song. I’ve heard more transformative parody covers, but rarely have I heard a “serious” cover that so completely changes not just the feel but the actual meaning of a song.
So… Here’s the original Robyn pop version of “Call Your Girlfriend”:
And here’s Lucy Wainright Roche’s brilliant cover:
UPDATE: And just for fun, here are Lennon and Maisy from the show Nashville doing their version “Call Your Girlfriend.” Thanks to my student Erin Cuddy for the link.