The Covers: V – “Making Believe.”

5th in my cover tunes series..

I first heard this song as performed by Danish metal/punk/country band Volbeat, on their 2008 album, “Guitar Gangsters and Cadillac Blood.”  Having never heard the tune before, I figured it was an original..

But then I heard a version by Dolly Parton, and thought that one was an original..

..Until I looked up the song on youtube and saw a comment stating that there was an earlier version by a woman called Kitty Wells, and that she had recorded the song in 1955..

That version was also a cover. A lot of people online don’t know this, apparently.. judging by various youtube comments.. This song has been covered by over 20 artists and bands!  I had no idea.

Sadly, this is a song that pretty much every human being on the planet can relate to. I think that’s partially why it has been covered so often.

The original was recorded by Jimmy Work, in 1955, according to Wikipedia, but in 1954, according to a website called secondhandsongs.

Ok then.. as far as I can tell, this is the original..

Here is the Kitty Wells version from the same year, or a year later..

Here is Dolly Parton’s cover, from 1963..

(If I get any of the dates, years wrong, etc. please let me know, and provide evidence, not opinion. Thanks).

I like some of Dolly Parton’s recordings, but for me, that was excruciating.

Those of you who like classic country, but who don’t like punk or metal will not care for my favorite version.. the one I first heard.. by Volbeat..

Alright, and yes, to be fair, even a punk version of this had previously been recorded, in 1992, by Social Distortion, so what Volbeat did.. making the song heavy.. wasn’t their idea.. ok whatever. I like Volbeat more than Social Distortion, so there..

That was fun.. amazing how far down the rabbit hole goes with some of these cover songs!

Next covers post.. a Dolly Parton original.. (it damn well better be).. covered by The White Stripes.