Members pogo97 Posted October 11, 2015 Members Share Posted October 11, 2015 Most songs, I think, are pretty gender-neutral. And often, it's simple enough to change a few words to make a woman's song work as a man's song. But there are some that really don't translate and that's a darn shame. Ian Tyson's "Someday Soon" comes to mind. Lovely song, but "There's a cowgirl that I know, she rides the rodeo…" I don't think so. Any challenging songs that you've managed to cross-dress for your own use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve mac Posted October 12, 2015 Members Share Posted October 12, 2015 Jolene is a smashing song, that occasionally you hear blokes doing but they never bother to change the gender and to be honest if I gave it a whirl, I don't think I would either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted October 12, 2015 Author Members Share Posted October 12, 2015 Played with a woman who sang that really well. Great song! Only problem was that *she* was the one with flaming locks of auburn hair, ivory skin and eyes of emerald green. I kept telling her that she couldn't sing Jolene -- she *was* Jolene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted October 12, 2015 Moderators Share Posted October 12, 2015 Lovely song, but "There's a cowgirl that I know, she rides the rodeo…" I don't think so. Any challenging songs that you've managed to cross-dress for your own use? I think one could easily wink your way through the change cowgirl/cowboy.... I do "Why Don't You Do Right", so rather than sounding like a gold-digger, it comes off more like a pimp..very Kurt Weill...and I did comment went Steve Mac mentioned 'You're The On That I Want' about the ONJ parts...I also cover some Patsy Cline songs...but they were not written to be too gender specific..and I''d Rather Go Blind' by Etta James, although I have not done it in a long time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bob Dey Posted October 13, 2015 Members Share Posted October 13, 2015 I can't stand Jolene. To each their own Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted October 13, 2015 Members Share Posted October 13, 2015 Midnight Train to Georgia was originally written for a man but retooled for Gladys. That one turned out just fine. I do Give Me One Reason To Stay by Tracy Chapman, but she was probably singing about a woman anyway. I've done Respect a few times, but Otis Redding blazed the trail on that one. Wouldn't mind doing At Last, but it's so synonymous with Etta, or women in general, that I've never bothered trying that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted October 14, 2015 Moderators Share Posted October 14, 2015 actually, I think it is time a distaff version of At Last was done...I've toyed with it, but never was comfortable with my arrangement...maybe I should go back and look at it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted October 14, 2015 Author Members Share Posted October 14, 2015 I do "Why Don't You Do Right", so rather than sounding like a gold-digger, it comes off more like a pimp..very Kurt Weill... Or you could go digging and find the original -- Peggy covered Lil Green who was singing a response to this: [video=youtube;9u-FquAoyXs] You still come off like a pimp, of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ski219 Posted October 15, 2015 Members Share Posted October 15, 2015 I do this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted October 15, 2015 Moderators Share Posted October 15, 2015 I went back to the Lil Green version, and they were both written by Joe McCoy...I just can't do a song called 'Weed Smoker's Dream' under the current California pot laws... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted October 15, 2015 Author Members Share Posted October 15, 2015 maybe just re-name it something like "Sitting on a Million" or "Put your stuff on the market." Odd thing is that there's no mention of pot or smoking in the song at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted October 16, 2015 Moderators Share Posted October 16, 2015 true...one has to wonder what McCoy was thinking when he published it under that title...actually, maybe it would work to incorporate the lyrics for both as a sort of medley/mashup thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted October 16, 2015 Moderators Share Posted October 16, 2015 interesting...but can you pull that off in a solo situation...food for thought... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members deepflight Posted October 18, 2015 Members Share Posted October 18, 2015 I do "Why Don't You Do Right", so rather than sounding like a gold-digger, it comes off more like a pimp..very Kurt Weill... That sounds cool! But are you aware of the earlier version of the song, "Weed-Smoker's Dream"? Sitting on a million, sitting on it everyday. Can't make no money giving your stuff away. Why don't you do now, like the millionaires do? Put your stuff on the market and make a million too. Fay's a betting women, she bets on every hand. She's a tricking mother-for-you everywhere she lands. Why don't you do now, like the millionaires do? Put your stuff on the market and make a million too. May's a good looking frail, she lives down by the jail. On the back door she got hot stuff for sale. Why don't you do now, like the millionaires do? Put your stuff on the market and make a million too. Edit: Never mind, I see someone else already brought this song up already. I just love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members deepflight Posted October 18, 2015 Members Share Posted October 18, 2015 Responding to Daddymack about mashing up Why Don't You Do Right & Weed Smoker's Dream-- a friend and I have sung it just like that as a guy/gal duet,it works very nicely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members senorblues Posted October 18, 2015 Members Share Posted October 18, 2015 How about "Street Life" - Randy Crawford and Joe Sample. I've never heard it done with male vocals, but the words seem OK. I'm working up "Woodstock" which was, of course, covered by CSNY, but it occurs to me the Joni Mitchell had no problem writing and singing "I was a free man in Paris . . ." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted October 18, 2015 Author Members Share Posted October 18, 2015 How about a mash-up of Lucinda Williams' "Right In Time" and Jackson Brown's "Rosie." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted October 20, 2015 Moderators Share Posted October 20, 2015 Peggy Lee also covered [You Give Me] Fever, which was written by 'Little" Willie John...and let's face it, hers is still considered to be the definitive version...Rita Coolidge? Meh... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted October 20, 2015 Author Members Share Posted October 20, 2015 I've done "Fever" with Diane, but if I was to learn it I'd use Little Willie John's version. Peggy Lee cutified the words, which made it a huge seller (and gave her composer rights) but LWJ's version is wonderful raw R&B, which is much more to my liking. Rita Coolidge? Huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members STM86 Posted October 23, 2015 Members Share Posted October 23, 2015 I just don't change the gender. People know the songs with the lyrics they were written with. I see enough people singing along at the tables where I don't really see much benefit in changing them. Alternately, on Ryan Adams' pretty brilliant Taylor Swift cover album, he changes not the gender of the words, but the person 's perspective of the song. So rather than He's a cowboy or what have you, you might say "I'm a cowboy" and so on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted November 2, 2015 Members Share Posted November 2, 2015 Personally I've never been a fan of changing the gender for most songs, but I don't think it matters so much to the audience either. There will always be a few purists (of either camp) who are going to be put off regardless, so I think the most important thing is to do what feels true to you. I've worked with a lot of female singers over the years who have sung male songs. Some have preferred to change the gender, some not. I never noticed the audience caring too much one way or the other. Presuming most even noticed, period. But its never good to sing something that makes you uncomfortable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted November 2, 2015 Members Share Posted November 2, 2015 and I''d Rather Go Blind' by Etta James, although I have not done it in a long time Rod Stewart did a nice cover of that years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted November 3, 2015 Moderators Share Posted November 3, 2015 indeed, which is what encouraged me to try it. I think I will dust that one off this week... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members slodge Posted November 12, 2015 Members Share Posted November 12, 2015 Most songs, I think, are pretty gender-neutral. And often, it's simple enough to change a few words to make a woman's song work as a man's song. But there are some that really don't translate and that's a darn shame. Ian Tyson's "Someday Soon" comes to mind. Lovely song, but "There's a cowgirl that I know, she rides the rodeo…" I don't think so. Any challenging songs that you've managed to cross-dress for your own use? Alison Krauss made the cowboy/girl switch in "Let Me Touch You For Awhile." It works, but once you realize the change, other lines in the song make more sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members toober Posted November 13, 2015 Members Share Posted November 13, 2015 The live White Stripes version is great, and he doesn't change anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.