10 Greatest Rock Cover Songs Of The 1980s

In spite of his frankly insane decision to wilfully take on the stage name of Elvis, Mr. Costello has carved out quite the career for himself, as a solo artist and at the head of many different bands.

With his group, The Attractions, he put out the album Get Happy!! in 1980, which was fronted by the lead single, I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down. A fun and bouncy new wave track, the song became an instant hit, as fans up and down the country took to the dancefloor to throw shapes to its infectious beat.

So, imagine their surprise when they discovered it had started life as an emotional soul ballad.

Sam and Dave, the voices behind Soul Man and Hold On, I'm Comin', released their significantly less danceable view of the song in 1967, and it really is lovely. It's a completely different arrangement to Costello's, making it near impossible to tell that they're even the same composition.

Thankfully, this means there's plenty of room for both of these great tracks to exist.