Unemployment is skyrocketing, stock-markets are tanking, and audiences are social distancing. It is time to start playing music for fun. While quarantining musicians are playing for voyeurs behind computers and smart-phones, their audiences wait for familiar songs. These recognizable songs are called “cover songs,” and choosing a fun one comes down to two things: the lyrics, and the number of song-parts in the cover tune.
Though the music moves bodies to get down, lyrics telling people to get down, are also fun. Learning Parliament Funkadelic’s “Atomic Dog” and Commodores song “Brick House” will get listeners doing the nasty on the dance floor. April-quarantines will mean December babies for them. Another great example of songs that makes people move is “Everybody,” by the Backstreet Boys. It is catchy, and will have 30 year old moms donating to the CashApp on the Live-Feed as they “rock their body, right… “
These cover songs can be two chords, or two sections. Any more than 4 song-parts and playing cover songs becomes no fun. Lady Gaga’s song, “Bad Romance” is an example of a fun song my band Xotic Yeyo covered. It has 4 parts; A, B, C, and D. The A-section is an introduction and the chorus of the song. The B-section is the chromatic bridge to our C-section. The C-section connects the chorus to our verse. Following the C-section is the D-section or breakdown. Afterwards, we go back to the A Section. “Bad Romance” is a great cover-song because it’s a great song. Fun cover songs are really fun songs.
Country musician, Harlan Howard says “…music is three chords and the truth.” When it comes time to choose a fun cover, Howard is spot on. Bands as post-punk as the Pixies and as funky as Stevie Wonder are writers of some fun music—time to learn some.
