This post was originally published in September 2014 and has been updated and re-vamped with new artists and songs in February 2021.
My friends, I love a cover. I love covers so much I watched every season of Glee. But most of all I love queer covers, aka queer people covering songs. Give me a gay cover! Let us share in this love together? I attempted to only pick songs that had videos where things happened, like people singing for example, but some covers were too good to skip even though their video was audio-only. ALSO I was looking for songs usually by male artists about women so we could have some pronoun fun but also there are exceptions to that as well because of goodness and my personal desires. I also was looking for covers of songs by straight artists but I have indicated where that premise was slightly compromised. Lez begin!
Miya Folick, “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” (Death Cab for Cutie)
Tracy Chapman, “Stand By Me” (Ben E King)
Alex G, “Perfect” (Ed Sheehan)
Joy Oladokun, “My Girl” (The Temptations)
Marika Hackman, “Between the Bars” (Elliot Smith)
Be Steadwell, “Use Somebody” (Kings of Leon)
Brandi Carlile, “Wildflowers” (Tom Petty)
Julia Nunes & dodie & Orla Garland, “God is a Woman” (Ariana Grande)
(as far as i know, orla is not queer, but the other two people in this are!)
Hayley Kiyoko, “Mr Brightside” (The Killers)
Rebecca Black, “Love Me Two Times” (The Doors)
Note: Jim Morrisson may have been bisexual.
Jessica Betts, “I Kissed a Girl” (Katy Perry)
Japanese Breakfast, “Head Over Heels” (Tears for Fears)
King Princess, “Happy Together” (The Turtles)
Joan Jett, “Crimson and Clover” (Tommy James)
Janelle Monae, “I Want You Back” (The Jackson 5)
Sara Ramirez, “Chasing Cars” (Snow Patrol)
Unfortunately she is not the only singer on this track but we have what we have
Demi Lovato, “Take Me To Church” (Hozier)
Kai Mata, “Riptide” (Vance Joy)
k.d. lang, “Crazy” (Patsy Cline)
Katie Melua, “Just Like Heaven” (The Cure)
Melissa Etheridge, “Brown Eyed Girl” (Van Morrison)
Indigo Girls, “Romeo and Juliet” (Dire Straits)
Holly Miranda, “Lover You Should’ve Come Over” (Jeff Buckley)
Me’Shell NdegéOcello, “Who Is He and What Is He To You” (Bill Withers)
St. Vincent, “Lithium” (Nirvana cover, performed with surviving members of Nirvana)
Note: Kurt Cobain was possibly bisexual but this has not been definitively declared. Also Pat Smear is bisexual.
Lily Brown, “Rude” (Magic)
This song is actually unbearable in its heterosexual version but delightful when it’s gay.
Mary Lambert, “Teenage Dirtbag” (Wheatus)
Tayla Parks, “What’s Going On” (Marvin Gaye)
Halsey “Sucker” (Jonas Brothers)
K’s Choice, “Yellow” (Coldplay)
Tegan & Sara, “Dancing in the Dark” (Bruce Springsteen)
Santana Lopez and Brittany S Pierce, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” (Whitney Houston)
You must check out this version of Rude. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2j00NTUbh8&w=560&h=315%5D
https://youtu.be/AEd-AXItn_M
Kate Tucker’s cover of I’m on Fire is so good, I have no clue if she’s queer but it’s a queer f*cking song.
… this gif just made my day. HUGS FOR CHICKEN FOREVER.
For some reason the second half of this list won’t load on any internet-having device I own, but I’m hoping against hope that someone has finally made a queer lady cover of “Scotty Doesn’t Know” and that it’s on this list.
None of my devices will load the second half either and I may hyperventilate from the anticipation of getting to listen to it…
That is an amazing idea. Like. Just yes.
i will learn to play an instrument and start a band for the sole reason of making that happen. why have i never thought of that before? it would be so good!!!
This is hot as all living fuck
I’m waiting for somebody to cover Jesse’s Girl. I feel like that would be so good!
Love this list, made my day so much better.
Yesssssssss
http://theladymonsters.tumblr.com/post/99971496496
It happened! Thanks, Mary Lambert
Mary lambert did a cover of this one :-)
Tegan and Sara. :D
Melissa Ferrick used to cover “Jessie’s Girl” live in concerts. I loved it!
Yass! And “Meet Virginia”!
Me and two of my friends played She Will Be Loved at a gig for LGBTQ charities a few months back :) It was one of those songs that if you listen too closely can feel really creepy but if you let it can sound beautiful.
I’m gonna put most of these songs on a Youtube playlist.
I still maintain it’s mostly creepy, not beautiful
Wait wait wait. Julia Nunes is confirmed lesbian, queer, or bisexual??? OH MY GOD OH MY GOD how did I miss this? She was totally my middle school crush (pre queer awakening). Also, this post is my new fave thing.
I KNOW. I NEED AN ANSWER TOO.
Yeah, I can’t find any confirmation of this. Was it in a vlog? I used to watch every video of hers all the way to the end but nowadays, it’s possible I missed something…
I am also googling frantically and coming up with something. I NEED TO KNOW
I meant nothing. I was coming up with nothing, not something.
Glad to hear I wasn’t the only one whose heart skipped a beat to read this.
Totally freaked out at this. Literally been wondering since 2007.
RIESE. TELL US WHAT YOU KNOW.
I too still want to know!
I’m at least 90% sure I know about her from something on this site, which seems strongly predictive
I really dig Tegan and Sara’s cover of “When You Were Mine”.
I serious think I need to start covering more songs..
I also really need MK Nobilette to make an album my gosh!
I don’t know how any of the members identify but Postmodern Jukebox does amazing retro style covers of pop songs and they don’t change the pronouns from the original no matter who sings it.
I love Joan Jett something fierce. I saw her play a couple years ago and she is still slaying. I would not kick her out of my bed. I’m just saying.
Not much of joiner or one prone to fan-girlishness but I managed to get close to the stage when she started singing Crimson and Clover and suddenly Beatlemania made much more sense to me than I ever though it would….
My second favorite, after Joan Jett’s “Crimson and Clover,” will always be Bratmobile’s cover of “Cherry Bomb” in which they change “Hey street boy…Your dead-end dreams don’t make you smile?” to “Hey straight girl”.
I’m a huge fan of the Melissa Etheridge cover of Maggie May, but I cannot, for the life of me, find a decent version to link here. It’s tragic.
I love the version of “Thunder Road” she did with Bruce Springsteen on… was it MTV Unplugged or something? One of those shows.
Her version of “Leader of the Pack” from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony of the Shangri-Las was pretty great with the pronoun change, too.
#apparentlystillhasalotofmelissaetheridgecoverfeelings
she came from the GAY side of town
Thunder Road:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cXzFhZVMnQ
Leader of the Pack:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQyWezBb1YA
Yes! This one is not the awesomest quality ever but here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjxS9PIv1_g
This is a great list. Joan Jett’s Crimson & Clover has always been one of my fave covers.
Also, if I may, one of my fave queer lady covers of a song is Sweetest Girl as covered by Nervous But Excited. There’s a few versions on youtube but I’ll just link this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fufmLdR7Kw0
Oh, how could I (OR ANYONE!?) forget this…I wish there was a studio version of this so so much.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcKKLZLXETc
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Maybe I’m just having an especially emotional day but I definitely cried at least a little through about half of these.
Oh thank God I’m not the only one
I. Love. This. So. Much.
Joan Jett is so dreamy in that video. I definitely have it favorited on my computer. #blackhearts5ever
Bruce Springsteen songs make magic queer girl covers in my opinion.
I’ve been singing ‘dancer in the dark’ in the shower a lot recently. But my favourite to sing in the shower is ‘I’m on fire’.
Okay great post BUT this gem is missing (also I have no idea how to embed videos, help me someone)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZb3QquSYw0
Tender Forever singing ‘My Love’, so good!
So many feelings!
I came for Joan Jett’s cover of Crimson and Clover and there it is in the top five, yuhss.
Have some more Joan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SlgRSNkWu4
My Baby Does the Hanky Panky ;)
*wants to brag about how I can do her growl an’ stuff but I have to finish dancing to Hanky Pank and listening to the rest of the 28 artists.
She also covered “Do You Wanna Touch Me” which is great cause I loved that song (but loathe Gary Glitter) and she made it super sexy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XELpxApT8Kc
I sang that one in a karaoke booth while dancing along. ;D
#humblebrag?
Janet Jackson’s cover of “Tonight’s the Night” got banned in Singapore in 1998/1999 because she fucked around with the pronouns to make it sound like there was a poly-gender threesome.
Here’s a fun Metafilter thread about this (both genders, but no changed pronouns). Also check out the Aversions subsection on this TVTropes article.
(I should have probably said “all genders” rather than “both genders”, I apologise. the Mefi thread is more gender-binarist.)
Queer girl covers 5ever. I love any kind of cover that switches genre or changes context or subverts. This list is amazing.
This list made my shiverrrrr
Anika Moa – Crazy Yes Dumb No (Mint Chicks cover)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JsYEhNF85w&w=560&h=315%5D
Has anyone else heard Joan Jett’s cover of Fun Fun Fun by the beach boys? Amaze.
I am so thankful this article exists and I am especially thankful for that cover by Melissa Etheridge.
The Alex Parks cover of “Yellow” is also pretty fabulous. I like it better than the original version.
I was looking through this list wondering where Alex Parks was! I pretty much prefer all of her covers to the originals
How about this ?
Coeur de Pirate – Music when the lights go out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1ErI_9WCQk
I’d like to take this opportunity to plug The Slits cover of ‘I Heard it Through the Grapevine”
Tender Forever’s cover of “My Love” is quite great.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZb3QquSYw0&w=420&h=315%5D
Not a gay girl, but also very good: Rae Spoon’s cover of HALO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cyn4h5oWII
And: Zoe Boekbinder’s “I’m your man” (Leonard Cohen) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cyn4h5oWII
Both your links go to the Rae Spoon video (which is awesome) so just dropping this link to the amazing I’m Your Man cover (thanks for sharing! I’m really really really into this song): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAKoe_1mzVU
speaking of gay girls covers that rocks, let me introduce you to this girl:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-eRy_C02O0?list=UUiHOsCL-qUxoKZpNZVM1kNQ&w=560&h=315%5D
::swoon:: You’re my new favorite person
Hi.. I super enjoyed all the videos! Love women who perform songs performed by men. I do it too.
If you have the time, please give a listen/watch my video covering ‘Alright Now’ from FREE. Thank You!
https://myspace.com/dustybike650/videos
I was thinking the same…
Mirah also covered Dancing in the Dark – it’s a stunner.
Oh oh oh, plus the Electrelane cover of Bruce Springsteen’s I’m On Fire is sexy and brilliant and amazing. Writing this from my phone, otherwise I’d go find a video to share…look it up!
Ingrid of Coyote Grace sings this too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9BzfofFLEc
LP’s cover of Halo is amazing as well (which I proudly discovered from Autostraddle)!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6X0PqIWfzQ
ALSO she covered “Something” by the Beatles and it’s perfect oh god it’s so perfect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDhxaS7jsIA&list=PLF826A6B0129A4353
So moral of the story… LP is a beautifully perfect badass.
Ferron’s Inside Out is all covers of a lesbian’s take on straight songs that influenced her growing up. She’s in her 50s, so the songs are not new. However, Walk Away Renee is just heartbreaking and brilliant.
Also there’s this Caleigh Peters cover of the Cars’ “Just What I Needed” with none of the lyrics changed. I’m just going to leave it here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2V4KHzF65M
Hey girls, please check out my lesbian cover of ‘Me and Mrs Jones’
https://www.facebook.com/KendraMusicUK
https://soundcloud.com/kendra-stevens-1
Hope you like it! <3
also, also, also there’s Lauren Lowther who does all sorts of covers and in this link on YouTube, Counting Stars. http://youtu.be/E4TWt-NZiyc it’s really good stuff, go check her out. She’s also featured on LesbianCentral a lot.
Connor Zwetsch’s cover of MGMT’s “Electric Feel” is so smolderin’ hot that I actually created an account here just to share it with you all. It is needed in our lives! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEYUEFGF7Os
Kitty Crimes does a kickass, queerified version of the Violent Femmes’ “Lemme Go On” that I am DYING to find somewhere so I can download it!!
(As far as I know, it’s on exactly one 8tracks playlist and one live video online)
Also, I just realized that this article is almost 3 years old. Womp womp…
Phoebe Bridgers has an amazing cover of It’ll All Work Out! Possibly my favorite Tom Petty song and she absolutely did it justice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDOaIcgUVEc
That Melissa Etheridge cover…🔥🔥🔥
The rhythm layering, the way her patter is still part of the song…almost felt like being at a live show :’)
Downtown Boys have a cover of Dancing in the Dark. The singer(or maybe it’s the band in general) gives off queer & anti-capitalist vibes.
LGBT (LGBT),
![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/7ef9e62e825219c25a00bb5672735d94/tumblr_o2acs0BxtC1v4oqu9o7_r1_500.gif)
LGBT (LGBT),
Baby it’s better,
Down where it’s less hetter,
Take it from me
Haha comment award @queergirl
I feel like there should be some Grace Petrie here somewhere since she spent all summer covering songs but now I can’t find them anywhere because I don’t have instagram :(
Aha I found the twitter thread! Hope this works…
https://twitter.com/gracepetrie/status/1245458521929498638?lang=en
Oh and the Betty cover…
https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/10/13/taylor-swift-grace-petrie-betty-folklore-sapphic-lesbian-love-song-james/
there’s a version of The Highwayman (useless name, I know. especially when you’re listening to folk music) that’s sung by a lady who is talking about how the singer became a bandit for their wife.
also, if you want queer (gender) folk songs, In London so Fair is about a girl dressing up as a boy to become a sailor
You are referring to the title track from the debut album by The Highwomen. They are a folk/country all-female “supergroup” answer to the old-school all-male Highwaymen. The group is Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires, Natalie Hemby and Maren Morris. The whole album is AMAZING and also includes a lesbian cowboy song!
I love Betty Who’s cover of I Love You Always Forever! (And all the remixes, tbh)
if you think you are real music love then every one look for spotify premium so getting spotify premium for free just vist on Modlelo
Queer person covering straight people songs and making them gay is kind of my schtick, but with less pop than this list. In the pre-pandemic times, I did schtick-y gigs where I’d cover hardcore, metal, grunge, and punk on piano & talk about music history. I’ve got two albums (one of punk/metal/grunge covers and one called Creepy Christmas: Carols in Minor Keys).
https://open.spotify.com/album/6Qda1iXM6Ix6oXtmA6jFoT?si=yfPUPUgVSVygTNotq0HWrg
Anyway, cool list. Enjoyed this.
Can’t believe Jenny Owen Youngs’ iconic “Hot in Herre” didn’t make it on her (or her Talk dirty to me or Call me maybe)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwuIIsDjgZg
Orla Gartland is definitely not straight so the dodie, Julia Nunes, Orla mashup is a little queer bop. Also here is her ‘bi anthem’ version of boys by chair xcx / girls 1975 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG9vYv_vJjI
I met this singer Abigail Fierce at a pride festival , she was super nice and I love her song “scream It to the whole world.” it’s not a cover but i thought i would share because its one of my favorites right now :) https://open.spotify.com/track/1Ux9Ql1kyqa0skExUNerDW?si=63e66e2ab9664405
This is a great list. Two Princes by Spin Doctors is another song waiting to be queered.
whitney houston was queer though right? i mean… whitney houston was definitely queer, right??