Cover songs that are better than the originals
All Songs Considered

Cover songs that are better than the originals

B2Upper-intermediateAugust 11, 202651 min

Sometimes a cover song is so good, so singular that it completely eclipses the original version. Think Sinéad O'Connor doing The Family's “Nothing Compares 2 U,” Jimmy Hendrix lighting up Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” or, of course, Whitney Houston’s defining take on Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” On this week’s show, we share some of our picks for cover songs that are better than the originals, talk about why, and what, exactly, a cover song needs to become a classic. NPR Music’s Dora Levite and Lars Gotrich join host Robin Hilton. Le...

Play episode

Opens the player: the full transcript, every word clickable, with translation and flashcards.

Try it: tap any word

Real sentences from the start of this episode. Every word is marked with its level.

Sentence 3 of 12 · 0:09

leave him with a lot less power?

,

of President Trump in short episodes focused on a single story.

Tap a word to see its meaning in your language.

Do you know these words?

8 harder words from this episode. Tap one to see what it means, then mark it.

Mark a few words and we'll tell you how this episode fits your level.

Is this episode right for you?

B2

B2 · Upper-intermediate

Comfortable if you already follow TV news

A1 57%A2 27%B1 11%B2 5%C1 0%
  • 95% of the words are B1 or easier.
  • 155 words a minute: a natural pace.
  • 121 harder words (B2 and up) in the whole episode.

Transcript

The opening of the episode. The whole transcript is in the player.

0:00

How will a historically unpopular president navigate a midterm election season that may leave him with a lot less power? Stay caught up on the latest news with Trump's Terms, the podcast where we curate NPR's coverage of President Trump in short episodes focused on a single story.

0:18

Follow Trump's Terms on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode of All Songs Considered comes to you from NPR Music. The NPR Music Podcast, your home for the best new albums, best new songs and conversations about whatever else

0:35

is happening in the world of music. NPR Music, also home to Lars Gottrich. That's damn right. You just live here now, this is your home.

That was the opening. The rest of the episode (51 min) is in the player: every word clickable, with translation, saved words and flashcards.

Continue in the player

Automatically generated from the audio. May contain errors. Audio belongs to its publisher and is played from their feed. Rights holders can request removal — copyright & takedown policy