The best cover versions.

This has always been one of my favorite covers and while it's been covered so many times it's the version by Brendan Perry , the male half of the legendary Dead Can Dance , covering another amazing voice Tim Buckley's Song to the Siren that I feel is the best. Guest appearance by Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins which has another tie to a different cover of the same song.

Many different bands and artists have covered this song over the decades. This Mortal Coil did a cover that a lot of people loved and is probably the most well known while Robert Plant also covered it along with many others. The following article goes on to talk about just a small selection of the artists, past and present, that have tried to give their own flavor telling the same sad song of the dangers of love: Song to the Siren Article

Additionally the Wiki page for the song gives an even more complete list of the many and varied artists that have covered it: Song to the Siren Wiki

One of the things that has always made this song unique to me is that as various people cover it they have slightly altered the lyrics , changing an image here or there while still retaining the overall theme of the song. Some of it have made it even more hauntingly alluring while others have gone a different way with it

In the end though it's that warm, smooth, evocative voice of Brendan Perry , like so many Dead Can Dance songs, that is for me the definitive version.


Song to the Siren by Tim Buckley
Written in 1967

Long afloat on shipless oceans
I did all my best to smile
'til your singing eyes and fingers
Drew me loving to your isle

And you sang:
"Sail to me
Sail to me
Let me enfold you"
Here I am
Here I am
Waiting to hold you

Did I dream you dreamed about me?
Were you hare when I was fox?
Now my foolish boat is leaning
Broken lovelorn on your rocks
For you sing:
'Touch me not, touch me not, come back tomorrow
O my heart, o my heart, shies from the sorrow'

I am puzzled as the oyster
I am troubled as the tide:
Should I stand amid your breakers?
Should I lie with death my bride?
Hear me sing, 'Swim to me, swim to me, let me enfold you:
Here I am, here I am, waiting to hold you'


Here is the version that has inspired so many people by Tim Buckley.




Here is the version by Brendan Perry

a reply to: SecretKnowledge

Oh good call Mr darko

Gary Jules version is awesome

Morning Dew


Robert Plant (Walk me out in the morning dew, my honey)


Nazareth (Walk me out in the morning dew)


Devo (Walk me out in the morning dew, my friend)


Original by Bonnie Dobson (Take me for a walk in the morning dew, my honey)

How about Page/Plant covering Gretta van Fleet? Bwahahahahaha.

My Heart Will Go On


Big Marvel


Wing + Matt Mulholland


Celine Tam + Matt Mulholland


Wing


Matt Mulholland


Original by Celine Dion

Gunnhild Sundli - Metropolis



Original by Seigmen

Tear Gas - Love Story


Original by Jethro Tull

If you're into guitars, there are some killer guitar solos in Love Story by Tear Gas. My head exploded the first time I heard those solos. Here's a cover of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath by The Cardigans. Unfortunately, she skipped the part where Ozzy goes "You Bastard!"



Original:

The Sound Of Silence

Ring Of Fire

Wikipedia:

[---]written by June Carter Cash and Merle Kilgore and popularized by Johnny Cash in 1963.

Misirlou

Magic and Ecstasy



Snakefinger (Cover)


Ennio Morricone (Original)

a reply to: Hellmutt
Cheers for rebooting this old thread!

PJ Harvey & Bjork live @ The Brits 1994

Heroes

Dernière Danse

Aside from Hendrix doing Dylan, a covers thread without The Bates is incomplete:

The house of the Rising Sun

King Kong

Payback