They Did It Their Way - L

If you're seeing this for the first time and wondering what this "They did it their way" thing is about, read here for the background and full listing of this personal game of mine.

L

k.d. lang - After the Gold Rush
k.d. lang - Bird On a Wire
k.d. lang - Hallelujah
k.d. lang - Rose Garden
k.d. lang - Secret Love
Cyndi Lauper - Midnight Radio
Christine Lavin - Reminiscing With the Elusive Gentle Lonely Boxer Of Love
Annie Lennox - Ev'rytime We Say Goodbye
Annie Lennox - Something So Right
Annie Lennox - Take Me To the River
Annie Lennox - Train In Vain
Annie Lennox - Whiter Shade Of Pale
Lotte Lenya - Moritat vom Mackie Messer
Lotte Lenya - Surabaya-Johnny
David Lindley & El Rayo-X - Papa Was a Rolling Stone
David Lindley & El Rayo-X - Werewolves Of London
Lords Of the New Church - Like a Virgin
Lyle Lovett - Stand By Your Man
Lene Lovich - I Think We're Alone Now
Lene Lovich - I Think We're Alone Now (Japanese Version)
Low - Nowhere Man

After the Gold Rush, Bird On a Wire, Hallelujah are all from "Hymns of the 49th Parallel," which is an album of covers of Canadian songwriters. The deluxe edition of k.d.'s latest album, "Watershed," includes a nice live recording of "Hallelujah" as well. Rose Garden is from "Angel With a Lariat," and "Secret Love" is from the soundtrack of the documentary, "The Celluloid Closet."

Reminiscing With the Elusive Gentle Lonely Boxer Of Love is Christine Lavin's mashup of "Alone Again, Naturally," "The Boxer," "Those Were the Days," "Windmills of Your Mind" and "Elusive Butterfly" (I think I got them all, but not in the right order).

Cyndi Lauper's version of Midnight Radio is from the previously- mentioned album, "Wig In a Box," a tribute to the music from "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," and a fundraiser for the Harvey Milk school in New York.

Ev'rytime We Say Goodbye is from the previously mentioned, "Red Hot and Blue" AIDS fundraiser album from the early 90's. Something So Right. Take Me To the River, Train In Vain and Whiter Shade Of Pale are all from "Medusa," which is Annie's cover album.

Okay, here's the tricky one. If it was written by Kurt Weill and sung by Lotte Lenya, can it truly be called a "cover" song? Answer: I don't care. "Surabaya-Johnny, warum bist du so roh? / Surabaya-Johnny, mein Gott, und ich liebe dich so / Surabaya-Johnny, warum bin ich nicht froh? / Du hast kein Herz, Johnny, und ich liebe dich so." If you think Bette Midler can chew the scenery on this number, wait until you hear Lotte Lenya sing it. Even if you don't speak German, you have a pretty good idea of what she's singing about. Nimm doch die Pfeife aus der Maul, du Hund!

Papa Was a Rolling Stone and Werewolves Of London: Reggae-ska-blues covers of two great songs. Both from the album, "Very Greasy."

I have the Lords of the New Church's version of Like a Virgin on an IRS sampler CD from the mid-1980's. Just in case you were wondering if I ever throw anything away, here's your answer: I still have promo CDs I got over 20 years ago.

Lyle Lovett's version of Stand By Your Man is very nice. Everyone laughs at the idea of a man singing this song, but there is absolutely nothing in the lyrics that indicates that the person saying these things is a woman. And when a man sings it, it sounds kind of sexist.....

I Think We're Alone Now, both in English and in Japanese, just because. I still love Lene Lovich's music, and she didn't do very many covers.

Low's version of Nowhere Man is from the previously mentioned "This Bird Has Flown," the tribute to "Rubber Soul." Good. Not great, but good.