Welcome

 Newton by Eduardo Paolozzi (1995).
In the piazza of the British Library, London. 
After William Blake's print, Newton: Personification of Man Limited by Reason (1795)

Welcome to "The Fall: the annotated cover versions".

For many years now, The Annotated Fall - to which I am a frequent contributor - has done a brilliant job in shedding new light on the often obscure lyrics of Mark E. Smith.

bzfgt, the owner of The Annotated Fall and author of the notes, decided to focus on original songs, or at least on lyrics written by Mark E. Smith or other members of the group; cover versions are not included.  

To exclude cover versions is reasonable decision to make, but it does mean that The Annotated Fall cannot be comprehensive.  This site aims to fill that gap, and to try and find interesting things to say about The Fall's cover versions. Failing that, at least we'll have all the boring detail in one convenient place.   

Scope

The Annotated Cover Versions focuses on all the cover versions recorded or performed by The Fall, which are not already discussed by The Annotated Fall.  

"Undeclared" cover versions are excluded.  By this I mean songs where the music is obviously substantially borrowed from a song by another artist, but that artist is not credited.  

Athlete Cured's debt to Spinal Tap's Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight is one example. 

These songs are adequately dealt with by The Annotated Fall, so there's no point trying to deal with them here too.

Also excluded are the few "declared" cover (or semi-cover) versions which are also covered at The Annotated Fall.  

These are:

Bound, based on the instrumental Love Bound by The Audio Arts, for which Mark E. Smith wrote new lyrics.

I Come and Stand At Your Door is credited to Nagle/Anon, but is based on a poem adapted into song form by Pete Seeger and recorded by The Byrds for their 1966 album Fifth Dimension. 

Ibis-Afro Man, based around the lyrics to Iggy Pop's African Man.

Dog is Life/Jerusalem contains verses taken from William Blake's Milton a Poem.

Stout Man is based on Cock in My Pocket by the Stooges, but with different lyrics penned by MES.

Finally, covers which do not feature lyrics are excluded (for the fairly obvious reason that there are no lyrics to discuss).  This category of exclusions includes Classical Gas.

Walk Like a Man is included in its pure live cover form, not the version entitle Breaking the Rules, with lyrics by Bec Walker, which appeared on Fall Heads Roll.

Canonical list of cover versions recorded or performed by The Fall

The following list is based on Steve Pringle's The Fall's Covers - Complete List [here].

Songs in italics are excluded from the scope of The Annotated Covers.   

1969 (written and performed by The Stooges, 1969)

A Day in the Life (written by Lennon/McCartney, performed by The Beatles, 1967)

Beatle Bones 'n' Smokin' Stones (written by Don Van Vliet, performed by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band, 1968)

Birthday (written by Jeff Lynne, performed by The Idle Race, 1968)

Black Monk Theme Part I ("I Hate You", written and performed by Monks, 1966)

Black Monk Theme Part II ("Oh, How to Do Now", written and performed by Monks, 1966)

Black Night (written by Blackmore/Gillan/Glover/Lord/Paice, performed by Deep Purple, 1970)

Blue Christmas (written by Billy Hayes/Jay W. Johnson, originally performed by Doye O'Dell, 1948. Famously covered by Elvis Presley, 1957 and Shakin' Stevens, 1982)

Bound (written by Wilson/Wilson/Wilson/Cason and performed by The Audio Arts Strings, 1974)

Bourgeois Town ("Bourgeois Blues", written and performed by Lead Belly, 1938)

Brand New Cadillac (written by Vince Taylor, performed by Vince Taylor & His Playboys, 1959)

Classical Gas (written and performed by Mason Williams, 1968)

Dropout Boogie (written Don Van Vliet/Herb Bermann, performed by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band, 1967)

F-'Oldin' Money (written and performed by Tommy Blake, 1959)

Funnel of Love (written by Charlie McCoy/Kent Westberry, performed by Wanda Jackson, 1961)

Gotta See Jane (written by Taylor/Holland/Miller, performed by R. Dean Taylor, 1968)

Groovin' With Mr. Bloe (written by Gentry/Cochrane/Naumann/Laguna, performed by Wind, 1969)

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Christmas carol first published 1739, written by Charles Wesley. Later put to music by Mendelssohn)

Higgle-Dy Piggle-Dy (written and performed by Monks, 1966)

Hungry Freaks, Daddy (written by Frank Zappa, performed by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, 1966)

I Can Hear the Grass Grow (written by Roy Wood, performed by The Move, 1967)

I Come and Stand At Your Door/Jap Kid (text by Nâzim Hizket, music by Pete Seeger, originally performed by Pete Seeger, 1961)

Ibis-Afro Man (written and performed by Iggy Pop, 1979)

I'm a Mummy (written by Rod McKuen, performed by Bob McFadden & Dor, 1959)

I'm Going To Spain (written and performed by Steve Bent, 1976)

I'm Not Satisfied (written by Frank Zappa, performed by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, 1966)

Jack The Ripper (written by Stacey/Hagen/Symonds, performed by Screaming Lord Sutch, 1963)

Jeanie ("Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie", written by Motola/Page, performed by Eddie Cochran, 1958)

Jerusalem (text by William Blake, 1804, music by Hubert Parry, 1916)

Jet Boy (written by David Johansen/Johnny Thunders, performed by New York Dolls, 1973)

Jingle Bell Rock (written by Joe Beal/Jim Boothe, performed by Bobby Helms, 1957)

Jungle Rock (written and performed by Hank Mizell, 1958)

Junk Man (written by Tony McPhee, performed by The Groundhogs, 1971)

Just Waiting (written and performed by Hank Williams, as "Luke the Drifter", 1951)

Kimble (written by Lee Perry, performed by The Creators, 1968)

Last Chance to Turn Around (Milrose/Bruno /Elgin, performed by Gene Pitney, 1965)

Legend Of Xanadu (written by Ken Howard/Alan Blaikley, performed by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, 1968)

Loop 41/Houston ("Houston", written by Lee Hazelwood, performed by Dean Martin, 1965)

Lost In Music (written by Bernard Edwards/Nile Rodgers, performed by Sister Sledge, 1979)

Louie Louie (written and performed by Richard Berry, 1957. Most famous cover by The Kingsmen, 1963)

Mr. Pharmacist (written by Jeff Nowlan, performed by The Other Half, 1966)

Pinball Machine (written and performed by Lonnie Irving, 1960)

Popcorn Double Feature (written by Scott English/Larry Weiss, performed by The Searchers, 1967)

Race With The Devil (written by Gene Vincent/Tex Davis, performed by Gene Vincent, 1956)

Rollin' Dany ("Rollin' Danny", written by Joe Stein/Paul Edwards, performed by Gene Vincent, 1958)

Say Mama (written by John Meeks/Johnny Earl, performed by Gene Vincent, 1958)

Shut Up! (written and performed by Monks, 1966)

Stay Away (Old White Train) (written and performed by Johnny Paycheck, 1979)

Stout Man ("Cock in My Pocket" written by Iggy Pop/James Williamson and performed by The Stooges, 1976. However The Fall's version has lyrics by MES)

Strangetown ("Strange Town", written by Tony McPhee, performed by The Groundhogs, 1970)

Strychnine (written by Gerry Roslie, performed by The Sonics, 1965)

There's a Ghost in My House (written by Holland/Dozier/Holland/Taylor, performed by R. Dean Taylor, 1967)

This Perfect Day (written by Bailey/Kuepper, performed by The Saints, 1977)

Victoria (written by Ray Davies, performed by The Kinks, 1969)

Walk Like A Man (written by Crewe/Gaudio, performed by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, 1963)

War (written by Anthony Moore/Peter Blegvad, performed by Henry Cow/Slapp Happy, 1975)

Werewolves of London (Marinell/Watchtel/Zevon, performed by Warren Zevon, 1978)

White Lightning (written by J.P. Richardson, performed by The Big Bopper, 1958)

White Line Fever (written and performed by Merle Haggard, 1969)

Why Are People Grudgeful? (incorporates "People Grudgeful" by Joe Gibbs, 1968, and "People Funny Boy" by Lee Perry, 1968)