Moments when a borrowed song became a blunt weapon
A short history of sets where artists let someone else’s song carry the insult, the protest or the punchline.
GLASTONBURY, UNITED KINGDOM – JUNE 28: Jay-Z performs on the Pyramid stage during day two of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 28, 2008 in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. (Photo by Jim Dyson/Getty Images)
A cover is usually a tribute. But sometimes, it is a weapon. In the right moment, someone else’s song can settle a score, answer an insult, or stage a protest without a word of explanation.
The stories here stretch across decades and scenes, but they all follow the same quiet logic, let the borrowed song do the talking and let the audience fill in the rest.
Jay-Z vs. Noel Gallagher (Glastonbury, 2008)
Noel Gallagher told the press hip-hop had no place at Glastonbury. Jay-Z opened his headlining set by walking out with an acoustic guitar, playing a few bars of “Wonderwall,” then tossing it aside and starting “99 Problems.”
Madonna vs. Lady Gaga (MDNA Tour, 2012)
After “Born This Way” drew comparisons to “Express Yourself,” Madonna called the song “reductive” in interviews. On her MDNA tour, she performed “Express Yourself,” transitioned into the “Born This Way” chorus mid-song, and followed it with “She’s Not Me.”
The Roots vs. Michele Bachmann (Late Night, 2011)
When Congresswoman Michele Bachmann appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Roots played her out to the instrumental intro of Fishbone’s “Lyin’ Ass Bi*ch.” Questlove had posted about it on Twitter beforehand. NBC issued an apology.
Mr. Bungle vs. Red Hot Chili Peppers (1999)
Mike Patton said Anthony Kiedis used his influence to get Mr. Bungle removed from festival lineups. On Halloween 1999, Bungle performed in Chili Peppers costumes, playing their songs as parody. Patton wore a blond wig and mocked the band’s history with addiction.
Lewis Capaldi vs. Noel Gallagher (2019)
Noel Gallagher called Lewis Capaldi “f*cking Chewbacca” and told him to enjoy his 15 minutes. Capaldi changed his social media name to “Chewis Capaldi.” At TRNSMT festival, he walked onstage in a Chewbacca mask, then led the crowd through “Don’t Look Back in Anger.” He captioned the clip “Don’t Chewbac in Anger.”
Ben Lee vs. The Ataris (Early 2000s)
The Ataris wrote a song called “Ben Lee,” a direct shot at the singer and his relationship with Claire Danes. Lee eventually started covering it at his own shows, introducing it as “the greatest anti-me song ever written.”
Jeff Tweedy vs. Black Eyed Peas (2011)
During Rahm Emanuel’s Chicago mayoral campaign, Dan Sinker ran a parody Twitter account called @MayorEmanuel. One tweet complained that Jeff Tweedy wouldn’t play Black Eyed Peas songs at a fundraiser: “People love that shit. Not saying they’re a good band, they’re fucking terrible.” Eight months later, at Sinker’s book release party, Tweedy showed up and played acoustic versions of “I Gotta Feeling” and “Rock That Body,” then did a spoken-word reading of “My Humps.”
Foo Fighters vs. Westboro Baptist Church (2011–2021)
Westboro Baptist Church has targeted Foo Fighters shows around Kansas City multiple times, and the band has answered with covers more than once. In 2011, when the church picketed a concert at the Sprint Center, the band rolled up on a flatbed truck in the trucker costumes from their “Hot Buns” tour promo and played their country-parody song “Keep It Clean,” then paused so Dave Grohl could give a short speech about equality and tolerance.
In 2015, outside the same arena, they used the same truck setup but this time blasted Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” and danced along, an in-person Rickroll that local and national outlets picked up on; later that night Grohl told the crowd, “You can’t just sit there and do nothing; you got to go out and say what you want to say.”
In 2021, when Westboro showed up again before a show in Bonner Springs, Kansas, the band appeared as their Bee Gees tribute alter ego the Dee Gees and performed “You Should Be Dancing” from the back of a truck while Grohl urged the protesters to “stop hating” and “start dancing.”
Prince at the Rock Hall (2004)
Prince wasn’t originally part of the George Harrison tribute at the 2004 Rock Hall ceremony; Harrison’s widow wanted only people who’d known him. Producer Joel Gallen convinced her to add Prince. During rehearsals, Prince stayed in the back while another guitarist took the solos. On the night, he stepped forward for the outro of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and played an extended solo. At one point, he leaned backward off the stage into a stagehand’s arms. When it ended, he threw his guitar into the air and walked off. Tom Petty, who was on stage, said you could feel the electricity in the room. A friend later said Prince would rewatch the footage repeatedly.
Sinéad O’Connor on SNL (1992)
On Saturday Night Live in October 1992, Sinéad O’Connor performed an a cappella version of Bob Marley’s “War,” changing the lyrics to address child abuse. At the end, she held up a photo of Pope John Paul II, tore it apart, and said “Fight the real enemy.” Joe Pesci said on air the following week that he would have hit her.