Seven Lady Gaga Covers That Trump The Originals..

In honour of The Capital Children’s Choir (or something) covering the Lady Gaga (semi) hit Judas last week, it struck us how bloody good Miss Germanotta’s songs sound either stripped back, rearranged or reimagined as country and western numbers.  Whether you’re fully aboard the Gaga Train or not, there is no denying that the sign of a truly talented songwriter is someone who can write a melody that transcends any genre or arrangement.

So, without further ado, here are Seven examples of why Lady Gaga’s pop trifles are stronger pieces of songwriting than many give credit for :-

JUDAS – The Capital Children’s Choir

An amazing choral version of an amazingly B-A-N-A-N-A-S pop song.  The best part is watching an underage children’s choir trying to get around lines like ‘dead hooker prostitute wench’ and whatever that thing about ‘ear condoms’ was.. The choral arrangement works surprisingly well for what is basically the most melodramatic single Gaga has released (since the last one).

EDGE OF GLORY – Kevin Jonas

Look, we generally like to make fun of Jonas Brothers the way we like to make fun of female Republicans trying for a shot of the Presidency, but the tone and melodic shift in this version really bring a level of soul to a song that had always slightly just been missing *that* magical quality.  Top marks Jonas Brother, top marks.

POKER FACE – Glee Cast Version (Lea Michele and IDINA FREAKING MENZEL)

Glee has done several Gaga covers over the last year to varying effect (the sublimely yearning Bad Romance to the abysmal Karaoke Bar Hell of Born This Way) but none more stunning than this heartfelt and charming piano driven version of Poker Face.  Sure, witnessing a Mother to Daughter confessional about ‘bluffin with my muffin’ may have been a touch on the awkward side, but the vocals are dynamite and the arrangement is one of the absolute musical feathers in Glee’s cap to date.

PAPARAZZI – Greyson Chance

Who would have thought a nine year old with a piano would become the next Justin Bieber?  Clearly, it was whoever armed him with a delightfully stripped back arrangement to the Gaga Stalker Anthem Paparazzi.  Also, turns out nine year olds boys are her vocal soulmate, with Chance pulling off a delivery worthy of the Lady herself..

YOU AND I – Hayley Reinhardt

American Idol Season 11 contestant Reinhardt cemented herself as a front runner for the crown with this energetic take on the then unreleased Gaga upcoming classic.  Sure, through most of the season she sounded like she was giving birth to a pride of lions but, on this stripped back rock’n’roll number (at least, compared to the recorded version), Hayley showed her pipes and growled her way to third place.

BAD ROMANCE – Lissie

To be honest, this is pretty much the Holy Grail of rejigged Gaga covers.  A stripped back, grits’n’gravy version of what is arguably Gaga’s best song, Lissie snarls her way through the semi-acoustic arrangement with a vocal that would make the Lady herself proud.

BORN THIS WAY – Lady Gaga

Now, no feature on the brilliance of rearranging Lady Gaga tracks would be complete without a contribution from Gaga herself.  Now, there are so many to choose from, but this Honty-Tonk reimagining of her Madonna-aping self-affirmament anthem is just countrified genius.  In our humble opinion, this trumps even the original, making you wish that Gaga had followed the yellow brick road to Nashville instead.