When a film writer bases a script on a novel, it often sits somewhere between his own ideas and those of the original author. Take, for instance, a movie like “10 Things I Hate About You,” which recreated Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew as a modern teen romantic comedy. Hardly Shakespeare’s original intention, but it can’t be completely credited to the new writers either.

The same concept can be applied to certain songs. We’ll call them “reinterpretations” – songs that aren’t exactly originals, but are something more than covers. Let’s take a look at 10 artists who used older songs to create something new from their own unique perspectives.

Original: “That’s Not My Name” – The Ting Tings
Reinterpretation: “That’s Not My Name” – Dizzee Rascal

By making a slight change to the chorus, Dizzee Rascal completely altered the meaning of The Ting Tings indie dancefloor hit. In the original version, singer Katie White sings about feeling forgettable: “They call me ‘Hell’/They call me ‘Stacey’/They call me ‘her’/….That’s not my name.” In his version, British rapper Dizzee Rascal re-writes these lyrics, turning the song into a sly take on racisim: “They call me black/They call me rudeboy/They use the n-word/…That’s not my name.”

Original: “Stack O’ Lee” – Mississippi John Hurt
Reinterpretation: Numerous

One of the most notable reinterpretations concerns the story of Lee Shelton (aka Stagger Lee) a St. Louis pimp who was convicted of murdering Billy Lyons in 1895. Many consider the 1928 blues version of the song titled “Stack O’ Lee” to be the definitive original, though there are actually folk versions dating back to 1910.

The song has been reinterpreted by numerous artists, including The Rulers, whose “Wrong Emboyo,” (later covered by The Clash as “Wrong ‘Em Boyo”) recreates the song with Stagger Lee as the hero. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds also have a significantly different take with “Stagger Lee,” which details a violent, homoerotic version of events.

Original: “Happiness is a Warm Gun” – The Beatles
Reinterpretation: “Happiness is a Warm Gun” – Tori Amos

A perfect example of the difference between a cover and a reinterpretation. While Amos retains some of the lyrics from the original, her version, which is interspersed with soundbites from George Bush and her own preacher father, has been transformed into a discussion about gun control.

Original: “I’m Your Boogie Man” – KC and the Sunshine Band
Reinterpretation: “I’m Your Boogie Man” – White Zombie

It could be argued that this is simply a cover because none of the lyrics are altered. However, I would say that there is such a significant change in tone between the two songs that the meaning is quite different. In KC’s version the term “boogie man” is used to mean a groovy 70s dude that’s gonna rock your world. I get the distinct impression White Zombie was referring to the horror movie definition in theirs. Take a look at the video if you doubt me on this one.

Original: “God Save the Queen” – British Anthem
Reinterpretation: “God Save the Queen” – Sex Pistols

One of the most famous reinterpretations in punk history, “God Save the Queen” was translated by the Sex Pistols into a diatribe against British politics. “God save the queen/A fascist regime/That made you a moron/A potential H-bomb.”

Original: “It’s the Hard Knock Life” – Cast of “Annie”
Reinterpretation: “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” – Jay-Z

Everything about this orphans’ lament lends itself to a rewrite from the inner city perspective. Credit to Jay-Z for actually figuring out how to seamlessly work the shrieky little kid vocals from the original into his reinterpretation.

Original: “Ladies Night” – Kool and the Gang
Reinterpretation: “Not Tonight” – Lil Kim feat. Missy Elliot, Angie Martinez, Da Brat, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes

“Oh yes it’s ladies night/And the feeling’s right” goes the refrain from Kool and the Gang’s 1970s tribute to ladies night at the disco. In 1997, Lil Kim and friends reworked this as a showcase for female rappers with lines like, “Oh this is ladies night/And our rhymes is tight.”

Original: “I Fought the Law (And the Law Won) – Sonny Curtis and the Crickets
Reinterpretation: “I Fought the Law (And I Won) – Dead Kennedys

Most people are probably much more familiar with The Clash’s cover of this 1950s song, but it’s the Dead Kennedies who brought a whole new take to it, using the song as commentary on Dan White’s use of the “twinkie defense” to get his murder charges reduced.

Original: “He-Man” – TV Theme
Reinterpretation: “He-Man” – Ludacris

It’s not exactly unusual for rappers to use samples, but in this case Ludacris does more than simply rap over the theme song for 80s cartoon He-Man. He actually recasts himself as a rap superhero, and reworks the few lyrics that are in the original to fit. “Powers were revealed to me…by the Power of Greyskulll,” goes the He-Man theme, while Ludacris tells us he’s, “been appointed straight from the power of grade school.”

Original: “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” – Rod Stewart
Reinterpretation: “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” – Revolting Cocks

It goes without saying that there’s something of a sleazy vibe to Rod Stewart’s 1978 hit. However, by adding an industrial rock soundtrack and changing a few key lines (including the infamous switch from “I’m out of milk and coffee” to “I’m out of KY Jelly” – which singer Chris Connelly giggles though), RevCo makes the Stewart version seem almost wholesome.

Tags: cover songs, dead kennedys, dizzee rascal, jay-z, kc and the sunshine band, kool and the gang, lil kim, Ludacris, mississippi john hurt, Music, Nick Cave, revolting cocks, rod stewart, sex pistols, the beatles, the clash, the ting tings, tori amos, white zombie

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