[Exmoor]

I love Johnny Cash, but it always annoys me when songs made famous by other performers and later covered by him become referred to as Johnny Cash songs. "I've Been Everywhere" is actually a very unique example of this since the original version is actually Australian[0] and was re-written with U.S. cities and became a hit for Canadian-born country singer Hank Snow [1].

The other song that routinely gets attributed to Cash is "Long Black Veil" which was actually originally performed by Lefty Frizzell [2]. I would argue the Frizzell version is the superior version in every way. Lefty had an incredible career and is sadly not very well known these days.

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OZWi-mTkNU

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jet7Ue743Do

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50k18gL76AU

[SigmundA]

Then you get him covering "Hurt"[1] from NIN and Trent Reznor says "that song isn't mine anymore" [2].

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AHCfZTRGiI [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurt_(Nine_Inch_Nails_song)

[Maxburn]

That was an amazing cover, I like both artists but Johnny Cash just blew that out of the park. Combined with his death just a few years later too, man.

"Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode was also a excellent example.

[slowhand09]

I agree, but it happens all the time. What was famous in one generation or time may be unknown by another. Janis Joplin singing "Me and Bobby McGee" for example. Huge number of people thought it was her song. Kris Kristofferson wrote it and performed it. Several artists performed it, charting it even. Joplin made it a #1 hit, recording it right before she died.

[mauvehaus]

I also think Janis Joplin can rightly take credit for recording the definitive version of "To Love Somebody". I mean, the BeeGees version is good, but hers is otherworldly.

Similarly, Jimi Hendrix can surely claim to have recorded the definitive version of "All Along the Watchtower".

Actually, there's got to be a pretty long list of songs written and recorded by Dylan that somebody else recorded the definitive version of. PP&M covering "Blowing in the Wind" comes to mind.

[marlowe221]

I would submit that Dave Matthews Band may have given Mr. Hendrix (hallowed be his name) some competition for All Along the Watchtower, but you make excellent points here!

[ctoth]

Mr Tambourine man is another great example.

[mauvehaus]

You probably don't have the 13th Floor Elevators version in mind, but that's my favorite! I'll concede that nobody's likely to call it definitive though.

[quesera]

My favorite example of this is "China Girl" by David Bowie, written by Iggy Pop.

Bowie and Iggy were friends, and for many years (maybe still to this day!), the songwriter's royalties for China Girl were Iggy's primary source of income. Which I think is great. Like a form of patronage. Bowie was a great guy.

Though I prefer Iggy's version of the song.

Siouxsie & the Banshees cover Iggy's "The Passenger", and Ms Sioux wins this time.

Now if only Bowie had covered a Banshees song, the circle would be complete.

[angrais]

I'll be honest, I read this comment last night and wanted to revisit it as I haven't heard Siouxsie's version.

What makes you enjoy it more?

[hirundo]

Horse and jockey. Geoff Mack wrote a beautiful horse and Johnny Cash rode it for all it was worth. It's annoying that Mack is ignored, not that Cash is lauded.

[slowhand09]

From Nashville Songwriters Association-

Songwriters are paid via 3 royalty streams:

Mechanical Royalty – A songwriter receives a mechanical royalty from the sale of a song on an album or a legal digital download. This rate is set by a Copyright Royalty Board made up of 3 judges who meet every 5 years to set rates. The original mechanical royalty was established in 1909 and set at 2 cents. Today, the current rate is 9.1 cents (typically split with co-writers and publishers).

Performance Royalty – A songwriter receives a performance royalty when their song is performed on terrestrial broadcast radio, in a live performance venue, or via online streaming services. In the United States, performance royalties are paid out through Performing Rights Organizations (ASCAP, BMI and SESAC) and are governed by consent decrees from WWII requiring the PROs to go to rate court to receive their rates from entities seeking to license the songs they represent.

Synch Fees – A songwriter receives a synch fee when his/her song is licensed for use to synchronize with video (i.e. television, movie, YouTube video). This royalty is freely negotiated in the marketplace and is typically split 50% to the writers and 50% to the artist and record label.

[ethbr0]

See also: How Haim Saban made his first fortune. By figuring out that the rate scheme made composing children's cartoon music incredibly lucrative https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haim_Saban#Music_career

[slowhand09]

Geoff Mack was probably well-paid for his work.. And from multiple artists performing and recording it, and many radio stations broadcasting it. Cash probably made more money for Mack than any other artist.

[brimble]

This happened to a lot of songs, including a bunch where the famous version is basically the only song anyone knows by the artist who popularized it (a "one hit wonder" but for a song that wasn't even an original). I may be way off, but it seems like this doesn't happen as much these days but did all the time in the 50s-70s. Not sure why that would be.

[goto11]

Before Beatles, performer and songwriter was typically separate jobs. It was quite normal for a song to be recorded by multiple different artists and even to chart with multiple artists at the same time. The idea of a "cover version" did not really exist, since none of the versions were considered more original than the other. Famously, Elvis Presley never wrote a song himself. Beatles changed that, because they made it prestigious for performers to write their own material.

[mgkimsal]

I get what you mean but 'prestigious'... doesn't seem the best word. The idols they looked up to had all written a lot of their own stuff (Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly seem like the archetypes there). The Beatles sort of invented the 'self contained group' (singers, songwriters, performers all in one) and it seemed to become almost mandatory for groups after that to at least have a go at writing.

[cgriswald]

With apologies to @wizzwizz4 for calling him out:

> > Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go // I owe my soul to the company store

> — Johnny Cash, Sixteen Tons

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30234908

[supercanuck]

Funny, I always attributed Long Black Veil to Dave Matthews. Didn't realize it was a cover until now.

[swagasaurus-rex]

In Johnny Cash's defense, the song is a very standard 12 bar blues progression (I I IV I V), which Johnny and every other blues artist uses liberally.

He's obviously ripped off every other aspect of the song (lyrics, rhythm, feel). Everything but the key change.

[zelon88]

I posted about this yesterday! My reference was Hurt by NIN.