Plenty of singers don't write their own material, and many who do also record cover versions or songs by professional songwriters. You don't have to be a songwriter to be a great vocal artist as an interpreter on the lyric. But has there ever been a song that you just assumed the singer wrote, and when you found out, otherwise, it just sort of lost some of the magic? It can be a cover version or by a professional songwriter. For me, it's A Boy Named Sue by Johnny Cash. That being said, lots of great Cash performances are great because of his rich bass-baritone and perfect storytelling vocals, whether he wrote the song or not.
Since you're using a classic country artist singer/songwriter, I'll go Merle Haggard: Misery and Gin and It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad) and Hank Williams Sr: Lonesome Road, Take These Chains From My Heart, Settin' the Woods on Fire, Half As Much, Wedding Bells, Window Shopping, They'll Never Take Her Love From Me. Sometimes though it feels like they sing the non written stuff better
I just learned a few days ago on this forum that Barry Manilow's "I Write The Songs" was (ironically) written by Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys. I was a bit disappointed, but I don't like the song any more or less.
That's often used as a joke that Barry didn't write a song called I Write the Songs, but many don't get that at the beginning he says I am Music, and I write the songs. He's portraying in the song Music itself. That's why it opens with I've been around forever and I wrote the very first song.
Perhaps, but anybody I knew who was a Manilow fan, was certainly not only incapable of making this distinction, but also incapable of reading their own record labels. When I'd point it out, they'd just look daggers at me, as if I were the one trying to undercut this fabulous artists' integrity. Fact-forward to my first radio job, in fact the radio station in my hometown I'd grown up listening to, where I pointed that out to the stations' Music Director (that's right, the one with the title most associated with being some authority on...music...?). At which point, he scrunched-up his face at my assertion, and said, "I've heard that before, but I don't believe it." .........
Which part didn't he believe, that Barry didn't write it or that he's acting as Music who writes all songs?
At the time it was charting in October/November 1967, I assumed Johnny Rivers wrote "Summer Rain". Dunno why, but the whole record just hit me differently once I knew he wasn't the writer....not lyrically or anything....it just...seems different. No explaining it. Still love the 45.....but go figure.
“Violent Crimes” by Kanye West. It seems like a very personal and heartfelt song about his daughter, featuring arguably the best lyrics on its respective album. Turns out it was ghostwritten. Not that that’s very significant among the other knocks against him at this point.
He did get many comments about the song not writing "I Write the Songs" (he didn't write any of his #1 songs), so he wrote a response song:
He honestly didn't believe Barry did not write it, because, c'mon, who sings a song about writing songs when they didn't...? This is the level of obliviousness I was dealing with in my very first job...where I should have been the ignoramus. But, even when somebody else must have told him that, he thought they were kidding. When you live in the 1970's and you have to defend Barry Manilow because your job depends on it, you get some real friction.
I'm this way with Michael Jackson's Man in the Mirror as far as the personal feelings he's expressing. As well as Thriller for less significant reasons
Doesn’t matter to me. Two different skills. Some people do one or the other well, a few do both. A great song is a great song. A great version of a song is a great version of a song. I’m not going to stop liking a song or a version of a song just because the singer was not the writer.
Since "A Boy Named Sue" has been mentioned, that reminds me of "One's On the Way" by Loretta Lynn, also written by Shel Silverstein. Back when I thought Lynn had written it herself, it really seemed to me like a window into why a certain type of woman never bought into feminism even at its height. I guess it could still be that (and make no mistake, Loretta Lynn was the very epitome of that trope!), but learning it was written by a man did change my perspective on it all the same.
i don"t care but in a doc about simple minds, they were told coming to america to record the future "once upon a time" that it was a problem they didn't write "don't you", their biggest hit! they couldn't be taken seriously and have all to prove!
'Clare to here' - Davey Arthur and the Fureys. The plaintive lilt of the hardworking Irish immigrants on London building sites..... Written by an Englishman. Even worse I thought the original was a poor cover of the cover.
None. Cat Power does covers all the time, but her voice and arrangements are generally impeccable. That's enough.
"Don't You (Forget About Me). The signature song of Simple Minds. I was surprised (more than 30 years ago) that the band didn't write it.
Jim Croce - I Got A Name Here is a prime singer songwriter, and this song was my favorite initially, it had an upbeat melody and poignant lyrics with a lot more elaborate production than the rest. Too bad that it's the one of his hits that he didn't write.
