Tonight
Tonight by George Michael is a great example of a cover that is much better than the original!!!!!! There, I said it and I mean it.
There are covers that make you appreciate the original more. There are covers that make you wonder why anybody bothered. George Michael took Tonight and basically said, “Thank you for writing this. I’ll take it from here.” I think there is something satisfying about hearing an old song done so well that the original starts looking a little uncomfortable standing next to it.
Which brings me to the good old days. I do believe that we miss the old good days because we realize that ahead of us there is no future. Now, before anyone accuses me of being pessimistic, let me clarify: I am not saying there is literally no future. Obviously there is. Tomorrow comes whether I am prepared for it or not. The problem is that nobody sends me the advance copy. That would be useful.
I would like to know what happens before I get there. Not everything, mind you. I don't need to know who wins the next argument or whether I finally remember why I walked into the kitchen. But a little information would be nice.
The past, on the other hand, has excellent customer service. Everything has already happened. I know which people matter, which people don't, which decisions turn out badly, and which ones turn out to be merely stupid. I know what I lose. I know what I keep. I know where I am. Yadda yadda yadda! The future gives me none of that. It just sits there looking blank.
So I look backward. Of course I do. The past is familiar. Even the unpleasant parts have the advantage of being over with. There is something very comforting about a disaster that has already happened. You can't say that about the future. The future can still screw you.
That is why a song like Tonight works so well for me. It takes something old and proves that old does not automatically mean finished. Someone can come along years later and say, “No, I have a better idea.”
I know the old good days are not necessarily better. They are just easier to recognize. At least I know what I'm missing. The future has the nerve to make me wait and find out.