Jealous guy

Still trying to figure out how to get the right live-acoustic sound…

The first time I heard this song was on a mix-tape a friend made for me (Thanks Parker!). It was a cover version by Elliot Smith. Strangely, I didn’t know it was Elliot Smith until today, when I saw his version linked to mine on YouTube (the mix-tape was actually a CD, and none of the songs were labeled). A few years ago, I heard the original John Lennon version of the tune, which sounded weird to my ears, since I had heard the Elliott Smith version first. My version is, of course, a bit different from the original and the Smith cover. Somehow, in my hands, a song takes on a added share of gloom. The tempo slows, things get a bit… lugubrious.

A cover of a cover — there are many tunes I play that fall into this category. It seems that whatever version of a song I hear first, I like best: The Jimi Hendrix version of All along the Watchtower, GNR’s Knocking on Heaven’s Door (Sorry Dylan!), Jeff Buckley’s take on Hallelujah.

Anyway, I’ll do a cover of a cover of a cover, if the spirit moves me. I have no shame…