All Along the Watchtower “All Along the Watchtower” was written and originally recorded by legendary musician Bob Dylan in 1967. Dylan wrote the song during a tumultuous time in American history. The lyrics are deeply metaphorical and cryptic, as is typical of many of Dylan’s songs. The title refers to a passage in the Bible’s […]
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Zombie The Cranberries’ song “Zombie” was written by lead singer Dolores O’Riordan in 1993 in response to a bombing in Warrington, England that killed two children and injured over fifty others. The bombing was carried out by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), a paramilitary group from Northern Ireland, as part of their campaign to
American Woman “American Woman” was originally written and performed by the Canadian rock band The Guess Who. It was released in 1970 as a single and became their biggest hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was written by the band’s guitarist, Randy Bachman. It became the band’s biggest hit
I Will Always Love You In 1973, Dolly Parton wrote “I Will Always Love You” as a farewell to her former mentor and performing partner Porter Wagoner. She had performed with Wagoner on his weekly TV show for seven years and by the early 1970s she was eager to pursue a solo career. Parton and
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Autumn Leaves Autumn Leaves, or “Les feuilles mortes” in French was originally composed by Joseph Kosma with lyrics by Jacques Prévert in 1945. The song begins with the iconic opening lines: “The falling leaves drift by the window, the autumn leaves of red and gold.” The song’s lyrics are a reflection on the fleeting nature
Hurt, by Johnny Cash and Nine Inch Nails Johnny Cash’s 2002 version of “Hurt” is is an emotionally charged cover of the song originally written and performed by Nine Inch Nails. Nine Inch Nails’ lead singer and songwriter Trent Reznor wrote the song during a period of depression and self-destructive behavior, reflecting on his own
Did you know that Killing Me Softly by the Fugees is a cover song? “Killing Me Softly with His Song” was composed by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel in 1972. The song was inspired by singer Lori Lieberman’s experience of being moved to tears by a Don McLean performance. The original version of the song
R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Did you know Aretha Franklin’s version is a cover song? Aretha Franklin’s rendition of “Respect” is one of the most iconic songs in American music history. The song was originally written and recorded by Otis Redding in 1965 but it was Franklin’s version that became a hit in 1967 and is still considered the
Tainted Love by Soft Cell is a Cover Song “Tainted Love” was originally performed by Gloria Jones in 1964. Jones’ version of the song was the B-side of another song and was not a commercial success. Soft Cell’s version of “Tainted Love” was released in 1981 and became an instant hit. The Soft Cell duo
Did you know that Whatta Man by Salt-N-Pepa is a cover song? Whatta Man was released in 1993 by Salt-N-Pepa, in collaboration with En Vogue. The song was an instant hit, peaking at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number two on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. However, Salt-N-Pepa’s
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