Cover – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20Ov0cDPZy8
Original – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lWJXDG2i0A
“Free Fallin’” originally by Tom Petty pales in comparison to John Mayer’s cover of the song. In the original version, the song lacks interest. The vocals, while constant, lack interest, leaving it hard to listen to the melody and hard relax while listening. The raspy voice adds to the discomfort of the song; it sounds as though Petty is straining his voice when he is singing. The vocals lack range, leaving the song to feel monotone. The melody, which is dominated by a guitar, lacks any interest, leaving the listener feel like they are missing something. However, the cover by John Mayer give life to the song. The acoustic guitar adds variation and depth to the song that the music was missing. The overall melody of the song is emphasized by the smooth vocals and guitar. With the smooth melody, the song becomes easier to listen to, allowing the lyrics to become more apparent and gain more meaning than in the original version. The background vocals also add to the relaxed nature of the song that brings more ease in listening to the cover. When Mayer sings “free” about three and a half minutes into the song, there is a lightness underneath is words that Petty lacked. The weightlessness of Mayer’s voice in these moments places his cover above the original. The acoustic cover feels like it is from a “’technologically innocent’ era…, it lends an aura of increased ‘humanity’ and ‘soulfulness’ to the singer’s voice” (Weheliye 513). The cover adds a humanity that make the connection to the listener stonger.
