GutterPutter

Since the 1940s, many chart toppers would get played by anyone else aside from the original artist themselves. The Beatles’ ‘Yesterday’ is one of the most covered of all time with thousands of re-interpretations. Bob Dylan’s ‘All Along the Watchtower’, originally a folk-rock song, is warped into a psychedelic masterpiece by Jimi Hendrix on Electric Ladybird. There’s even a notable section in many music scenes that are made for playing singles under different genres like Postmodern Jukebox. Despite initial concerns around copyright and artistic licenses, the art of covering persevered and it’s now uncommon for aspiring stars to get their start off from emulating their favourite songs. So, how did covers manage to get their hand in popular culture? 

Long before the Beatles were to popularise their style of doing songwriting on their own, it’s widespread practice for an artist to rely on professionals who specialise in making songs for them. Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, known as being the most famous singers in America back in the 1950s, would go to someone like Bob Hillard, Howard Biggs, or the partnership of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart to help with making some songs. The idea of having an artist be separated from the process of mapping out the composition is a longstanding tradition – as late as in the 1910s would there be songs made with a sheet music as vinyl discs appear as a bit of a luxury. Its simplicity could be attributed to something like traditional ballads which doesn’t have an accredited name to go back to or the stature of operas which is a collaborative effort between the composer and a lyrics-focused librettist. There appears to be an expectation that the performer doesn’t need to worry about what content they are about to play or sing; someone will always arrange it for them. 

The idea of having a songwriter work on both the composition and the lyrics didn’t fully come into play in Western popular music until around 1940 when Woody Guthrie, a folk musician from Oklahoma, released Dust Bowl Ballads which looks at the Great Depression only a decade before. Highlights such as ‘So Long, It’s Been Good to Know Yuh’ or ‘Ain’t Got No Home’ have enjoyed a bit of popularity – and a small bit of spike because of it. The interest in the singer-songwriter concept would start to take off in recognition, yet it doesn’t necessarily take root in the next decade. What it does signal however is the revival movement that would eventually contribute towards genres like jazz and rock and roll. More artists are starting to get into making their own songs for them to sing along to. 

So, what does these facts have to do with cover songs? Once you consider the Beatles and how their songs always tend to be covered, there is always the transparency to play whichever songs you like, albeit with copyright complications now. With the internet and how it effectively democratises independent music, there is a greater incentive to allow others to discover new materials to enjoy listening to and to come up with a unique twist. The United States’ Copyright Law of 1909 allows musicians to play other songs if they manage to secure a license with the original creators for commercial purposes. Finally, there’s also the element of making ‘it’ new again. Just as Arctic Monkey was once described to be following in the footsteps of the Strokes during the creation of Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I Am Not in 2006, there too will be a new generation of artists who might imitate Billie Eilish’s style. 

And where is the best place to start all this? Simply through cover songs! Bob Dylan’s rise to fame as the USA’s most poetic artist isn’t from The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan in 1963, but it’s down to his self-titled debut album a year ago which is mostly made of traditional folk songs and different takes on several blues songs. The Replacements, during their brief dominance in the 80s’ underground scene, had its roots in performing Aerosmith songs without a vocal performance. There are countless of other musicians who you could say had got their start from performing hits from other artists to help find a blueprint to work on their own style. 

What this could suggest is that cover songs can be a useful groundwork for aspiring musicians to try and create their own style. As the old saying goes, there is nothing new under the sun. Because of this idea, it’s important to take matters into your own hand and just let the worry about uniqueness go for a bit. While there might be a time where it’s still preferrable to have a more dedicated composer to help with the music-making process, it could be more economical and flexible to listen to some of your favourite artists and see what makes them likable. After all, what’s the proof of passion without a bit of fun?