5 Country Covers by Rock Bands That I Was Surprised to Like More Than the Original

Country and rock ‘n’ roll once existed on opposite ends of the musical spectrum. While they’ve since overlapped in the latter half of the 20th century and beyond, there are subgenres within each category that sound like the inverse of the other. Where one is sentimental and soft, the other is brash and aggressive. On rare, glorious occasions, these two opposing styles come together to create something even better. And indeed, that was the case for these five country songs covered by rock bands.

“Move It On Over” by George Thorogood And The Destroyers

Hank Williams first released “Move It On Over” in 1947. Williams and his Drifting Cowboys played the song in straight country style, adding a new standard to the genre’s canon. George Thorogood And The Destroyers released their version three decades later, in 1978. Radio stations around the country kept the Williams cover on heavy rotation, making it almost as synonymous with George Thorogood’s career as it was with Hank Williams.

“Act Naturally” by The Beatles

The Beatles didn’t necessarily put a super hard edge on their cover of the country classic “Act Naturally”. Still, as one of the defining rock ‘n’ roll bands of the 1960s, this Fab Four crossover helped establish the subsequent blending of country and rock music. This cover came at the suggestion of Ringo Starr, who was the biggest country fan in The Beatles. It’s also a rare Fab Four track that sees Starr sing lead.

“Lonesome, On’ry And Mean” by Henry Rollins

Henry Rollins contributed a fast, in-your-face punk rendition of “Lonesome, On’ry And Mean” for an early-2000s compilation of Waylon Jennings covers. Jennings first released the song in 1973. Steve Young was the songwriter. While there’s an undeniable outlaw grit to Jennings’ version, Rollins’ rendition really makes you believe it when he calls himself mean.

“Angel From Montgomery” by Bonnie Raitt

There is certainly no denying the poignancy of John Prine’s original version of “Angel From Montgomery”. His straightforward vocal delivery lets the heaviness of the lyrics shine. Because he already sang the song from the female perspective, Bonnie Raitt needed to make no modifications when she released her own version in 1974, three years after Prine put out his version on his self-titled debut.

“Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down” by Throw Rag

Merle Haggard had one of the smoothest voices in country music history, and Lemmy Kilmister had one of the roughest voices in rock ‘n’ roll. Put them both together, and you have the Throw Rag version of Haggard’s classic beer-drinking song, “Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down”. The Throw Rag rendition puts the scene in a scuzzy dive bar, not a honky tonk, which somehow makes the whole thing seem more depressing and hedonistic.

Photo by Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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