Changing lyrics to a song

[jseth]

I would never change the MEANING of a song I cover by another writer, but I will frequently change a word or two... precisely to "personalize" the song, to "own it" more fully, to deliver it more convincingly to my audience...

At this point in my life, I have become 'follically-challenged"... and when I sing Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On?", I will sometimes change the line "Mother, mother, everybody thinks we're wrong; who are they to judge us, simply because our hair's a little long..." to reflect my lack of same - "... simply because our hair's a little grey... a little gone...". You get the idea.

Bob Dylan has long been notorious for changing the words to even his most popular songs, and doing it "on the fly"... on stage, while performing... and rhyming EVERY change in lyric content!

I feel that "loosening up" a bit is a really good thing, as I can tend to be more than a little exacting when it comes to many things in my life... having fun with lyrics is a great way to further that "loosening up" process; very similar to a jazz soloist NOT playing the same, each and every night...

I think that changing some lyrics, WITH INTENT, can be a really good thing... on some songs.

[Silly Moustache]

Once, some time ago, I was discussing how to remember lyrics with a seasoned folkie. He said that the important thing is to TELL THE STORY. If you remember how the story unfolds then even if you forget the words you can paraphrase to keep the storyline going.

Sounds fair enough to me.

After all, regardless of whoever wrote it, when you are performing it -it is YOUR song and YOUR story. Change whatever you like.

If people want to hear an exact facsimile of the original version - go listen to a the original recording.

[heni30]

A while back a friend told me "Jimi Hendrix was gay!"

You know, that line..."s'cuse me, while I kiss this guy"..

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

Once, some time ago, I was discussing how to remember lyrics with a seasoned folkie. He said that the important thing is to TELL THE STORY. If you remember how the story unfolds then even if you forget the words you can paraphrase to keep the storyline going.

Sounds fair enough to me.

To me, as well.

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

After all, regardless of whoever wrote it, when you are performing it -it is YOUR song and YOUR story. Change whatever you like.

If people want to hear an exact facsimile of the original version - go listen to a the original recording.

Well, in my case, many times I've learned songs by ear while scribbling down the lyrics as best I can. Or remembering how somebody else sang it at a festival I attended.

I've changed words unintentionally and intentionally, both. I sing a version of Stephen Foster's "Old Folks At Home," sometimes better known as "Way Down Upon The Swanee River." It's a beautiful song, but the original chorus goes:

"All de world am sad and dreary,
Eb-rywhere I roam;
Oh, darkeys, how my heart grows weary,
Far from de old folks at home!"

Needless to say, I skip the minstrel show dialect, and I changed "Oh, darkeys, how my heart grows weary," to "Oh, darlin', how my heart grows weary."

I mean, why leave that crap in?

That wording change was deliberate. But many times I work up a song, think I've got it right, only to learn much later that I've changed some words slightly or even changed the melody a bit.

You know what? I play and sing these songs in a way that works for me. If they evolve, so be it. That's quite literally the folk process.


Wade Hampton "Unrepentant" Miller

[murrmac123]

I quite agree that sometimes it is absolutely essential to make changes, in cases where modern sensibilities would be outraged by singing the original.

In such cases the song is inevitably improved.

I am less enthusiastic about altering lyrics for reasons of political correctness which are less than pressing... Dougie McLean, for example, should hang his head in shame for altering the robust couplet of his anthem "Caledonia" which originally read:

" I have kissed the ladies, left them crying,
Stolen dreams, there's no denying"

to a totally anodyne, and indeed meaningless:

"I have tried, and kept on trying
Stolen dreams, there's no denying"

[Andromeda]

Here is a lyric from a James Taylor song that James often sings himself and the line is from the song "Copperline." Here is the line on the studio version of the song.

"Half a mile down to Morgan Creek and I'm only living for the end of the week."

I have a few live CDs where he changes that line to "Half a mile down to Morgan Creek and I'm only living till the end of the week."

Changing the word for to till significantly changes the meaning of that line!!!

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by murrmac123

I quite agree that sometimes it is absolutely essential to make changes, in cases where modern sensibilities would be outraged by singing the original.

In such cases the song is inevitably improved.

I am less enthusiastic about altering lyrics for reasons of political correctness which are less than pressing... Dougie McLean, for example, should hang his head in shame for altering the robust couplet of his anthem "Caledonia" which originally read:

" I have kissed the ladies, left them crying,
Stolen dreams, there's no denying"

to a totally anodyne, and indeed meaningless:

"I have tried, and kept on trying
Stolen dreams, there's no denying"

Humm did not realize that I have always covered it the first way as that was the way it was on the Celtic compilation CD I had.