venta

It's Friday, it's about 3 o'clock. It's time to go underneath the covers (with the lights out).

I always recommend listening to a cover version without knowing what or who it is, so click on the link before reading ahead...

Today's cover version [link ro mp3 download expired]

That was William Shatner (feat. Joe Jackson) covering Common People, originally by Pulp

Yes, yes. I know. It's not a patch on Pulp's version. Quiet at the back there. This is mainly included for curiosity value.

I'm not a huge fan of William Shatner's music. And he has done some truly awful things in the cover versions department. I am, however, a huge fan of Joe Jackson. I'm mainly in this for the Joe Jackson bits.

I do quite like the last verse in this version. The Pulp original was always such a singalong that it's easy to forget that the lyrics are about grinding, inescapable misery and hopelessness. Hearing a different version reminds you to listen to the words, and at least one of them seems to understand what he's singing about :)

Shatner could lose the choir in the middle, though. I'm not down with that.