Original- Link: Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon
Cover- Link: Can't Fight This Feeling by Cory Monteith (Glee)
For this assignment I chose the song "Can't Fight This Feeling" originally by REO Speedwagon, and covered by Cory Monteith on Glee. I will compare and contrast the two songs based on lyrics and some of their musical qualities. The original lyrics of the song talk about a man who can no longer deny that he is in love with someone, but is too afraid to tell her how he feels. He compares his love to a candle in the window on a cold night and a sailing ship. The song is very metaphoric and uses, in my opinion, beautiful language. In the cover version, the same lyrics are used, but several verses are taken out. By taking out some of the lyrics, the organization of the song is altered a bit. Instead of having two verses before the chorus, there is only one. It not only changes the flow of the song, but also the length, (which is shortened.)
The first musical quality that stuck out to me the most was intensity. The original song by REO Speedwagon has a much softer intensity than the Glee version. The singer’s voice glides across each word softly, making the words sound very heart-felt. Cory Monteith’s voice is more gravelly, though he still manages to sing the words sweetly. Pitch is the next point I will discuss. Both the singer’s voice and the instruments are at a lower pitch in the cover than the original. The original also uses piano as the main instrument to keep the melody, whereas the Glee version uses an acoustic guitar, so the difference is very noticeable. The speed of the REO Speedwagon song is relatively fast. The cover song is much slower; the singer elongates the lyrics to make up for taking out several verses.
If I were to characterize the tempo of the two songs the original would be moderato and the cover would be andante. This also affects rhythm because in the cover song there are less beats than in the REO Speedwagon original. The two songs have different kinds of timbre, but both are simple. The main instrument in the Glee version is guitar, and then the drums kick in strongly to give it a more complex timbre. Similarly, the original song starts off with just a piano riff repeated over and over, then the drums kick in, but softly and more understated. As I states in the first paragraph, the organization of the two songs is mostly the same, except several verses were removed in the cover song. However, the pattern of verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, remains the same.
I will conclude by telling you which song I like better. Although I have much respect for the original version, I like the cover better. I enjoy the sound of Cory Monteith’s voice more than the higher pitched voice of REO Speedwagon’s lead singer. The sound of a sole acoustic guitar also is a more pleasant sound to my ears than the piano, which is a bit too dramatic for this kind of love song. Even though I really like the lyrics of the song, I was pleased that Glee removed several of the verses. It made the song flow more smoothly. Overall, I enjoy listening to both versions very much because they each have unique aspects.
As soon as I saw that you used this song, I knew that Glee was the cover, who doesn't love a good song done by Finn? Both versions are tolerable, however, rather it may be my preference of Glee, I am certainly more of a fan of the Glee version. It sounds much more to date (for obvious reasons) and sounds a little more personable.
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