Cover Songs

There are several songs I really like by a French singer/songwriter named Joe Dassin. We listened to his music a lot in my AP French class my senior year, and one of my favourite songs by him was one called "Les Champs-Élysées." It's a song about the narrator strolling down the Champs-Élysées in Paris, a little lonely and looking for companionship. He comes across a girl and strikes up a conversation with her, and she tells him she's off to spend the night with "the crazies who play their guitars from evening to morning." He accompanies her and by the time the sun has risen again they've fallen in love. "In the sun or in the rain, at noon or at midnight, anything can happen on the Champs-Élysées."

The first is the original, by Joe Dassin, and the second is a cover by a band called NOFX:



The two versions of the song could not be more different. For one, while the songs have the same name, NOFX actually leaves out a whole verse from the original song. By manipulating the lyrics, they completely change the song's meaning. In the Joe Dassin version, the two people start out as strangers and, after spending the night with a bunch of "crazy musicians," they walk down the Champs-Élysées together the next morning as "lovers." In NOFX's cover of the song, this never happens. They meet, go to the club, and then the song ends. It's like there's no resolution to the story.

The chorus to "Les Champs-Élysées" is as follows:

Aux Champs-Élysées, 
aux Champs-Élysées
au soleil, sous la pluie, 
à midi ou à minuit
il y a tout ce que vous voulez
aux Champs-Élysées.

This translates to:
On the Champs-Élysées, 
On the Champs-Élysées, 
In the sun, under the rain, 
At midday or at midnight
There is all you want
On the Champs-Élysées.

This makes sense in the song because the two find each other out of all the other people walking down the Champs-Élysées and fall in love. With the last verse omitted, the listener might be confused as to why they're saying "all you want" is on the Champs-Élysées.

Another point where the NOFX cover differes substantially from the Joe Dassin original is in the musical quality. Joe Dassin's version can be describe as very folk-y, very laid back, optimistic, and pleasant to listen to. Contrariwise, the NOFX version is very harsh, in-your-face, and a little nasally. Joe's version uses softer instrumentation, with a clear and peppy trumpet in the chorus. The song keeps a steady tempo, little variation in intensity, and a much better sense of organization. The lyrics are articulated clearly, with a sense of clear timing and intent.

The NOFX interpretation is rather all over the board. Even if you can't understand French, it is clear that they jumble their words together, almost seeming to snarl them instead of the comfortable, cheerful singing used in Joe's song. The song begins with a rapid, "UN DEUX TROIS!" (one two three) and the use of electric guitars and a drumset. The tempo is slowed just before the singing begins, which is still much faster than Joe sang it. The song sounds rushed, uncontrolled, and in general disorganization. They try varying the tempo, but the effect is just that they couldn't decide what they wanted.

Because of their extreme differences, the songs evoke two very different emotions. Joe Dassin's version makes me feel happy, youthful, and ready to take on the day. NOFX's version makes me feel disoriented, a little apprehensive, and generally yucky. Obviously between the two songs, I strongly prefer Joe Dassin's version. It is 100% better, in its arrangement, presentation, understandability, musicality, and most basically, its enjoyability. NOFX should have just left the song as it is and enjoyed it for the masterpiece it is.