Covers

The word “cover” was initially used to describe the once common record-company practice of recording the hit songs of other companies in new versions, often with different audiences in mind. In the 1950s, it was especially used to name recordings by white artists of songs first recorded by African Americans. It now is used to name any recording by a different artist of a song of another artist, but we should not call Judy Collins’s recording of “Suzanne” a cover, because hers was the first recording of Cohen’s song. Cohen was a songwriter before he was a recording artist. But, late in his career, covers of his songs proliferated, and they did play a significant role in gaining Cohen new audiences. Alan Light has documented the significance of covers by John Cale and Jeff Buckley in popularizing “Hallelujah,” making it eventually Cohen’s most recorded song. Several tribute albums, including I’m Your Fan , also contributed to a resurgence of interest in Cohen after his recording career had hit bottom with Columbia’s refusal to release Various Positions. This chapter considers the role of covers in the public’s reception of Cohen’s songs, and the influence of those cover versions on Cohen’s own art.