Post-Modern Song Alteration

Beethoven - "Fur Elise" (Original)

The original by Beethoven is rumored to have been written for one of his female pupils. In German it translates to "for Elise". It is said he gave it to her because  she was struggling with learning piano, so he composed something easy for her to start out on.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%BCr_Elise

Nas - "I Can"

Nas samples Beethoven's "Fur Elise" in this song. I think he chose this sample because of the idea that "Fur Elise" is a beginner's song, but if you keep with it you can achieve even more. I say this because, the beginning of Beethoven's piece is very simple, but it progressively gets harder.  I think this is a metaphor for living in harsh living conditions, which Nas raps about. Overall, the message is positive, which I think plays into what the original song's story represents.

Tears For Fears - "Mad World" (Original)

 In this heavily synthesized song, the band touches on looking out at the craziness of the world through the eyes of a youth.

 Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_world


Gary Jules - "Mad World"

In this remade version, Gary Jules strips most of the accompaniment down and leaves the track bare, with only a little bit of voice modulation in some parts. I think this makes the track more poignant and compelling, allowing you to really focus on what's being said. They most likely used this track to represent the whirlwind and random nature of the world. If you think about it, in 2001, there were a lot of things happening that made the world seem like it was "mad".

Smokey Robinson - "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" (Original)

Smokey Robinson's "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" asks the obvious, will you love me? It's a love song about longing for someone's affection. As the song progresses, the singer seems to be more and more paranoid with the fact that their lover will leave them.

KanYe West - "Devil in a New Dress"

KanYe West's song is a more modern take on love and relationships. He quips about the fickleness of a female, and how they argue because of petty things. There's a sense that he is wondering if she'll leave him tomorrow, and that's a direct relationship to the meaning of Smokey Robinson's song. He definitely choose this sample because of what it represents, and that is the soul of a relationship. I believe that maybe he modified and changed the sample because he wanted to portray the fact that there is still this type of soul in relationships, but it's different from old soul.