Are you familiar with the singer, Rachael Price? Wow, what a rich voice! I’ve only recently discovered her and her impressive repertoire. One of the things she does extraordinarily well is to record her own interpretations of music originally done by others. If you haven’t heard her version of “These Days” by Jackson Browne or “Lola” by the Kinks, they are definitely worth a listen. Music that is re-recorded by other artists is called “Covers.” There are, in fact, some touring bands that have forged successful careers by doing nothing but that: e.g., Brit Floyd (who travels globally performing music by Pink Floyd) or Toast (who does the same performing the music of Bread). In fact, nowadays most of the touring acts from the 60s and 70s are basically cover bands (think of the modern versions of the Temptations, the Four Tops, the Drifters, and numerous others). The Beatles covered several artists from the 50s and early 60s. So did the Beach Boys. And James Taylor. And Peter, Paul, and Mary. And virtually all of the famous singers from the Big Band Era. “Covers.”
Admittedly nobody sings “Yesterday” like Paul McCartney does or “Stand By Me” like Ben E. King did or “Jolene” like Dolly Parton does. Even so, sometimes a cover song is arguably as good as or even better than the original.
So, what’s the point? One point is that ALL OF US “COVER” SOMEBODY. My friend, Randy Harris, accurately observed that “we all stand on someone else’s shoulders.” I don’t consider that as often as I should, but it’s absolutely true. I got my love of poetry from a high school English teacher named Lena Flenniken. I got my love of all things culinary from my mom who was a wonderful southern style cook. To a great extent, I got my love of theology from Owen Weatherly and my love of scripture from Mickey Efird. I got my love of public speaking, Duke athletics, and the New York Yankees from my dad. My love of humor may go back to a natural born comic I knew as a boy, a neighbor named Jim Moore who could turn anything into something funny. My love for travel and broadening my somewhat tribal boundaries comes from my wife. (She’s also trying to teach me a love for the outdoorsy life, which I haven’t quite mastered yet.)
None of us creates life as we live it. We have all been and continue to be shaped and influenced by others. We stand on their shoulders. It is therefore imperative to pick the right shoulders to stand on. If I am going to be morally or behaviorally influenced by someone, that person needs to be honest, kind, respectful to all others, humble, more interested in serving than being served, and genuinely good. Otherwise, I stand on shoulders that are sinking and will bring me down with them. I prefer, instead, to be uplifted (like a cover of Jackie Wilson’s “Your Love Is Lifting Me Higher,” which Rita Coolidge did beautifully). I want influences who can lift me higher.
The second point is that SOMEONE WILL ALSO “COVER” US. Our words. Our deeds. Our philosophies and attitudes. You and I will impact and help to shape others who live within our circles. To use a contemporary word (that I actually think is grammatically weak), like it or not we are all “influencers.”
A very fine person I knew a long time ago said that her son’s first word after “mama” and “dada” was a curse word. He heard her say it in a moment of frustration and then simply repeated what his mommy had said. She told me that on the one hand, it was funny. But, on the other hand it was a serious reminder that she and her husband were inscribing data on the blank chalkboard of their child’s life. They were influencing what he would become when grown. Though barely a toddler at that point, someday to a great extent he would stand on their shoulders.
What are you passing along to others who will “cover” you? Is it something you’re proud of, a personal signature you want the world to see?
Chet Powers recorded a song over sixty years ago called “Get Together.” The Kingston Trio heard it and re-recorded it, successfully standing on Powers’ shoulders. Then the Youngbloods covered that version and made it a lasting hit. We are all like the Kingston Trio in that vignette. Someone influences us, and then we pass it along, influencing somebody else. We just need to be careful who we choose to cover so that we’ll pass along the very best to those who cover us.