Thursday, December 06, 2007

TV Themes... this time with lyrics (Part 2).

Covers of TV Theme Songs Known Primarily as Instrumentals
(With Lyrics That You May or May Not Know)
Part 2



Next up we have covers of Massive Attack's Teardrop, an instrumental version of which serves as the theme of House, now well into season 4. Since I'm ignorant about these sorts of things, I didn't know that theme was a full-length song (from 1998, incidentally) until I heard a fan-made soundtrack to House last year. In fact, I didn't even start watching House until we got the box sets at the library and I plowed through the first 2 seasons in a few weeks. Right now I'm about half-way through season 3 on DVD since, you know, watching shows when they air is oh so unsatisfying. Anyway, it's a beautiful song and as much as I love covers, frankly these ones are pretty unnecessary.

Love, love is a verb
Love is a doing word
Fearless on my breath
Gentle impulsion
Shakes me makes me lighter
Fearless on my breath

Teardrop on the fire
Fearless on my breath

Nine night of matter
Black flowers blossom
Fearless on my breath
Black flowers blossom
Fearless on my breath

Teardrop on the fire
Fearless on my breath

Water is my eye
Most faithful mirror
Fearless on my breath
Teardrop on the fire of a confession
Fearless on my breath
Most faithful mirror
Fearless on my breath

Teardrop on the fire
Fearless on my breath

Stumbling a little
Stumbling a little


Elbow - Teardrop [originally by Massive Attack]
[**link fixed] I don't really have anything to say about this cover other than I think naming your band after a body joint is silly.

José Gonzålez - Teardrop [originally by Massive Attack]
This one's not bad if you like the guy + acoustic guitar approach. While most lyrics sites cite the chorus as "fearless on my breath" there are a couple that say "feathers on my breath". It's quite possible José is singing "feathers" in his cover, but it's kinda hard to tell.

Newton Faulkner - Teardrop [originally by Massive Attack]
Teardrop must be the cover choice of the moment since these latter two covers have both cropped up in the past month or two. This one starts off promising, but this guy (sorry Newton) has that kind of generic rock voice that sounds sort of like a poor man's Eddie Vedder. I can't really articulate that distinct vocal quality that makes me cringe, but this is how you remind me of Nickelback, Creed, Theory of a Deadman, etc. Every line ends like "Fearless on my breahEhEeeeEEeeeAAAH". I may be totally off-base here and it's not really fair to be lumped in with those other guys since Newton Faulkner's other material doesn't really sound like them, but this Teardrop cover just doesn't work for me.

Tune in next time as we revisit a well-known Henry Mancini composition for a Blake Edwards show. And no, I'm pretty sure the Pink Panther theme has no lyrics.

See also:
Part 1: Theme from Star Trek

4 comments:

Dangold said...

Two of the Box.net links are duplicates --- there's no Elbows link. Thanks for the downloads!

Fongolia said...

Thanks for the heads-up! I saw that no one was downloading it and figured something was amiss.

dahilling said...

I'd hate to pick on ya again, but the box.net link to the Newton Faulkner points to Jose Gonzalez.

Fongolia said...

Wow, I really botched that post, didn't I? Need more sleep!