Tune du Jour: “Swingin’ Party” – The Replacements
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes: Bright Little Field vs. Lorde
Peruse, Comment and Vote (I Beseech, Implore and Urge Thee, respectively)
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Let Me Be Your Ruler, Ruler, You Can Eat My Broccoli, And Baby I’ll Rule, Let Me Live That Fantasy…
As the Academy Awards’ after-parties emphatically confirmed, the most discussed and heatedly debated topic in today’s entertainment industry has got to be, ‘When Will Lorde Debut on Cover Me Impressed?’. Well, my uber-connected friends, I’m afraid you’ll have to conjure up new fodder to ponder over cocktails. Today, Lorde takes the plunge, setting her sights on Bright Little Field’s reigning cover of The Replacements’ Swingin’ Party.
So what took so long for Lorde’s much anticipated entree to CMI? Well it would have come sooner but I got detained. (Sorry, forgot to take out the trash…ba-dum-bum!).
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The Original
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The Replacements:
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THE CLASH of Cover Tunes
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Bright Little Field vs. Lorde
Bright Little Field:
Bright Little Field holds the distinction of being CMI’s Reigning Exultant Virtuosic Performer of “Swingin’ Party”. Additionally, Bright Little Field is a recipient of CMI’s universally coveted title of Bi Victor Melodious Maximus in Adversarial Replication. Among the title’s myriad of rewards and benefits, perhaps most desirous is that it bestows upon the recipient the eminently yearned for privilege of having one’s name appear in print media in bold orange!
Bright Little Field’s triumphal exploits in CMI’s THE CLASH of Cover Tunes competitions are detailed below:
1/9/2014 – “Treatment Bound” (The Replacements) – Bright Little Field (100%) shellack Asylum Street Spankers (0%)
10/16/2013 – “Swingin’ Party” (The Replacements) – Bright Little Field (75%) wallop Popland (25%)
And, as if the aforementioned accolades are not enough, Bright Little Field also holds the distinction of being the only ukulele band to do a tribute album to The Replacements!!!
Lorde:
The young upstart’s sullen interpretation:
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Oh the disharmony! Much like Harlan County there are no neutrals here. Only one cover tune will live to play another day and it is your solemn responsibility to decide which one prevails. So tell me … Which Side Are You On?!!?
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Votes can be cast up to three months from the day and time of the original post.
Disclaimer: Votes cast from Florida may or may not be counted.
cover me impressed 
Unmoved by either cover. A song like this has to be sung by Westerberg to have any impact at all.
So you’re not going to vote, Zaner?!!? Do you have any idea how hard I had to fight for your right to vote (not to mention to Party!)?
Both covers are perfectly serviceable. I kinda like Lorde’s better. I’m impressed that she even chose to cover it.
Probably not one of my top ten favorite Replacements songs but a good one nonetheless. Both versions get high marks for creativity. The problem, as Zaner aptly pointed out, is that this song was meant to be crooned by a generally accepted drunk/addict. It just works better when it sounds as if the singer is working off of his/her own hazy memory.
But as they say, ‘when in doubt, role with the ukulele band’. To be clear, I’m not saying that my choice was ever in doubt. Just wanted to cite one of the more famous Inuit proverbs.
Great song. Typical Westerberg twist with the swinging party being from a noose. Neither version great. I was also impressed that Lorde covered it. The lyrics carry the song so just let it be heard.
I went with Lorde’s, so according to Pete Black, Lorde got her name from Lords of Flatbush–who’d a thunk it?