10 Covers Transformed with a Lesbian Twist
It’s easy for us to sing along to love songs by straight men because they sing about women. Many singers covering a song by an opposite-sex artist decide to change the pronouns used in the song in order to keep the song about heterosexual love. However, once in a while, an artist will keep the original pronouns and the song suddenly becomes gay. The following are 10 instances of female artists covering an originally male-sung song, transforming it into a song about a relationship with another woman. Try not to swoon too hard.
1. Demi Lovato – Take Me to Church
The internet is full of memes about how much lesbians love Hozier’s music, and Demi Lovato answers our needs by turning his hit “Take Me to Church” into a song about worshiping her lover’s body.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysv84KEZXWw2. The Blow – Come on Petunia
While The Blow’s “Come on Petunia” is not entirely a cover song, its chorus is the chorus from The Police’s “Everything She Does is Magic.” You can check out an AfterEllen interview with Khaela Maricih of The Blow from back in 2010, and if you like the sound of “Come on Petunia,” The Blow has other songs that mention loving women, such as “Hey.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO1HSfzK1Ns 3. Pomplamoose- Ain’t No Mountain/My GirlPomplamoose’s mashup of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “My Girl” is for the fans of oldies music. Although Tammi Terrell is one of the artists on the original version of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “My Girl” is by an all-male group, The Temptations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrS6DO2H650 4. Taylor Swift- RiptideTaylor Swift’s cover of Vance Joy’s “Riptide” turns the song into a piano ballad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GGRdwfhl-U 5. Pia Mia – Hold On, We’re Goin’ HomePia Mia’s cover of “Hold On, We’re Goin’ Home” lends a pop sound to the Drake song about infatuation and wanting a good girl gone bad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olJt8cZWlio 6. Amy Winehouse – Girl From Ipanema“Valerie” is far and away Amy Winehouse’s most famous cover of an originally male-sung song, but her cover of “Girl From Ipanema” is a hidden gem. The lyrics reflect an unrequited love, admiring a woman from afar while she doesn’t take notice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDsU4L15Ip8 7. Chvrches- Cry Me a RiverJust like lesbians and bisexual women need love songs, we also need breakup anthems. Chvrches singer Lauren Mayberry brings female energy to the Justin Timberlake song about having no intention of getting back together with a cheating ex-girlfriend.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsy-oh2gE70 8. Lana Del Rey – Doin’ Time“Doin’ Time” is another song about a cheating girlfriend. It’s originally by the group Sublime, but Lana Del Rey gives the song her signature dreamy sound.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6UazdAlqhs&feature=emb_err_watch_on_yt 9. Lights – Summer Games“Summer Games” laments a relationship ending soon after it began, expressing heartbreak over losing connection with a woman who was quick to say “I love you.” Fans of this version of “Summer Games” will be pleased to know that Lights covered the entire B side of Drake’s album Scorpion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTfdAREMrO0 10. Postmodern Jukebox- Teenage DirtbagPostmodern Jukebox’s cover of Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag” is inspired by Janis Joplin’s musical style. The song is about longing for a girl who has a “bad boy” boyfriend.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Snh-ufvXWIkDid we miss your favorite song originally about a straight relationship but reworked into a lesbian anthem? Let us know in the comments.