William Shatner - Common People

[DeusExSublymonal]

Who's the non-Shatner singer in this? He's pretty awesome and I want to look him up.

[heyitscool1999]

@DeusExSublymonal Joe Jackson

[ChevKen]

This actually rocks

[ersway]

Happy to be common!......

[blujay1524]

This is how Captain Kirk lures women to his bedroom

[balanine100]

Version absolument fabuleuse du "cultissime"morceau de Pulp! Bravo à Mr Shatner!

[stephenrdade]

you'll never live like common people... after you take advantage of the great deals on priceline!

[97channel]

Nobody talks a song quite like the Shatner. He nails it every time.

[stevienicked]

Brilliant. Mad. Shatner.

[tvsdavid316]

She came from Ferenginar, she had a thirst for knowledge.

[1SirMachinery]

Thought for sure I would hate this.....but I find it hysterical!

[MikeyGeeFrankieRay]

WHAT IS THIS OMG

[trihflu]

This is actually the most better than expected thing I've ever listened to.

[FangedParakeet]

Just when I was thinking, "There's no way this cover could get any worse..."--ENTER THE CHILDREN'S CHOIR.

[ben250158]

blowjobs to this are weird

[suedelondon79]

pulp version is much better... but this is cool

[rollyunicorn]

He boldly went where no where no fool had gone before.

[silverwishthelock1]

when an american hears the words "smoke some fags and play some pool", does it translate as "shoot some gay people and play some pool"?, im genuinely interested to know <3

[greyelf437]

@silverwishthelock1 Nah

I think the whole "fags=cigarettes" issue was typically worked out shortly after the "gay=happy" discovery in primary school. This was my experience at least; we'd have kids running around literally calling each other cigarettes and happy because we thought we were being clever

[silverwishthelock1]

@greyelf437 thanks for the reply, i re read my post and realised i might have sounded a little bit ignorant. its just that when i heard william shatner say those words i immediately thought to myself : "hey i wonder how americans would react if say, some country singer from mississippi or something sang it", then i had a little chuckle before realising that im a 28 year old with a mental age of 6 :( if you knew about the whole gay/happy thing it made you awesome in my school hahaha good times

[tylercool2]

@silverwishthelock1 To some people that don't know, probably, but most most Americans still know that a fag is a cigarette.

[sparkyinbath]

what a cunt

[gewglesux]

Joe Jackson  on backing Vocals! love it!

[seanzoz]

I just watched the one by pulp, hated it :\. Love this one, so glad this is the version I saw first.

[feartheturnip]

this song is awsome, even better than the original, I pimp it to everyone & they all thing the same.

[sleepybrownbear]

This version captures the spirit of the song better than the original.

[tootiredfilms]

The reason it works so well with Shatner is because; While Jarvis sings the song well, it's all very blazay. While Shatner sings it with mirth and unrelenting hatred that is being restrained. The way you would feel if you were to talk to someone like that.

[griffMcTall]

She just smiled and held my hand :)

[MrRy626]

this is the best virtion of this song... EVER. i love it

[fullygrownshambles]

Fucking brilliant version!



[ex0ja]

wow, great quality for 360p

[Thedoomdude100]

Thumbs up if your here becuase DIY radio on Faction back in November.

[Xdestroyer6]

So William Shatner and Ben Folds are singing about the trails and tribulations of the lower middle-class.

[babaklas7]

is there any guitar pro tab for this version of the song??



[anditspaganpoetry]

i adore all of william's parts, but whoever sings the chorus... it sounds terrible.

[BrightEyes10003]

@anditspaganpoetry thats the original, dumbass

[CymroGoch]

@BrightEyes10003 No, it isn't. You absolute fucking idiot.

[anditspaganpoetry]

@anditspaganpoetry um, not it's not DUMBASS. the original is by Pulp, this chorus is sung by Joe Jackson. wow how embarrassing for you.

[Josak17]

Sleeping with the enemy... We are a zoo exhibit.

[applefaerie]

Joe Jackson sings the chorus in this. AMAZING.

[underdogg87]

KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA­AAAAAAAAAAAANNNN!

[CCubed1717]

This song is so good it's scary.

[puremoore]

@CCubed1717 has what your mum said

[amomo96]

This is the SHAT!



[puremoore]

@amomo96 top taking about yourselves

[DoomShepherd]

So is this the official "rich white kid who showed up at an #OWS protest" anthem yet? LOL

[wdamian]

@wdamian Fuck you. Sincerely.



[xorasel]

@DoomShepherd you can be a rich white kid and still be for the accountability of the banking system and getting money out of politics..

[0warrenwrestless0]

this song describes every relationship I'v ever had .....

[puremoore]

@0warrenwrestless0 they must have been shit

[Freudianity]

It took me a long time to realise that I wasn't the only one who preferred this version.

[MrticTac921]

She was from Greece and was rich? Wow only Shatner can say that.

[lakamas11]

@MrticTac921 yap, all rich people in Greece send their kids to study somewhere abroad just for show off, usually in Britain (they want to be close too...).Kids get bored and change college every year and finally finish one just to put it on their facebook page.

[Metatronflaren]

@MrticTac921 - And Shatner did not write this song, it is a cover of a song by Pulp.

[PapaSMURFFS]

@MrticTac921 you do realize it's a cover of an older song, like prior to the financial crisis, right?

[babyphil]

anti-hipster anthem

[Mizuki64]

@babyphil Totally

[tvsinesperanto]

Stupid iPad, i'll try that again... What can you say? The Shat will never be surpassed.

[tvsinesperanto]

What can you say? The St

[myIsweetIself]

LIKE!

[Charmanderrrr]

This

Is

BEAUTIFUL!!!!

[Ivelostmyway42]

how can people say this is better than pulp's version? this is fucking horrible

[TheVader2]

@Ivelostmyway42 To quote @funchingo, you are sincerely retarded.

[Monarky257]

@helencheddar It's still a song then, if there's music.

[funchingo]

@helencheddar you are sincerely retarded

[Amarant1994]

@helencheddar So? Does that mean that instrumentals aren't songs?

[Zoomy]

@helencheddar Look up Sprechgesang sometime.

[funchingo]

@helencheddar Then what the fuck is RAP?

[helencheddar]

@funchingo rap requires some amount of rhythm and set change in intonation, this is just speaking normally.

[RootbeerJelloDrums]

Anybody know who's singing on this? Because for a second I thought Shatner might be the only vocalist on the song, but that would be way too badass.

[494ta]

@RootbeerJelloDrums Joe Jackson.

[Giannibosio]

@RootbeerJelloDrums Ben Folds.

[GoodCat01210]

@RootbeerJelloDrums

its Joe Jackson

[sanzoriver]

Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroaches :D

[sonicdeath10]

Man, you guys are behind the times: I was rocking this tune when it originally came out. Owned.

J/k but it is a great version. Ben Folds helped out.

[silverwishthelock1]

@sonicdeath10

sorry sir, you dont quite understand. 90% of the people here are here because of, firstly, they liked pulps version and/or cracked.com sent them here. and i hate to say it but this is better :O sorry jarvis.

[sonicdeath10]

@silverwishthelock1 Nah, I get it because I read that article recently too. I've just been promoting this song (and this album, frankly) ever since it came out. You'd be amazed to find how awesome the rest of this album really is. Shatner actually did a good thing with this.

[Habbadax]

Pulp gave it form

Shatner gave it life and emotion

[MrRomac89]

@Habbadax You can't be serious mate? There's great emotion and life in the original. Jarvis Cocker cannot be beat on both counts. This is a very good version, I like it a lot but Pulp deserve 99% of the credit for writing one of the best songs ever written. Besides, "smoke some fags" and "dance and drink and screw" just sound weird in an American accent :p

[adambochel]

@MrRomac89 william shatner is canadian...

[funchingo]

LOVE THIS!!!!

[viralarchitect]

I think what makes this work with William Shatner is that while it is spoken word, he doesn't deviate too much from the cadence of the music. It sounds genuine but there is a rhythm.

[Nap712]

@viralarchitect William Shatner the MF DOOM of brit-pop covers

[sonambulistable]

Whoa. I never thought Captain Kirk would have a good singing voice. Surprise surprise. Who was singing the chorus though?

[ToniMichelleful]

@sonambulistable Joe Jackson (The english musician, not to be confused with Michael Jackson's dad)

[sonambulistable]

@ToniMichelleful Never heard him before, but he's good. Thanks for the info!

[SatelliteHeartTrans]

"It is the only working phaser ever built and was fired only once to keep William Shatner from making another album."

[tamaravel]

This is blasphemy! Jarvis Cocker is God!

[brch2]

While I like Cracked.com... thumbs up if you knew about and loved this song before they talked about it.

[luxerd]

@brch2 Nobody cares if you liked the song before Cracked.

[ATCNWT]

@brch2

whats cracked.com?

[jeffbod75]

@brch2 While it is great that Cracked had an opinion on this song, it mattered more that it came from the mind of Robert Brockway. If he says something is so, it god damn means it is so.

[PapaSMURFFS]

@brch2 Loved the song, on my all times favourite list actually, but had never heard this version. I still prefer the Pulp one musically but I think I might actually be agreeing with Cracked when they talk about the delivery of this one :)

[jermama]

LOL I JUST READ ABOUT THIS ON CRACKED NOW IM AN EXPERT ON WHAT A GOOD COVER IS. 

[9DoneWithMirrors3]

Much better than Pulp's original (In my opinion, of course)

[TheAgnwristos]

Thumbs up if cracked.com brought you here!

[QuietMan81]

@TheAgnwristos --Will everybody please just stop with all the "Thumbs up if you came here from X website" shit? NOBODY FUCKING CARES.

[TheVader2]

Better than Pulp.

!BRING ON DA HATE!

[haslam1435]

legend

[Makkatak]

AL murrey :)

[motorcars1000]

certainly an alternative version.. very like punk agression. from late 1970,s. heard it today for the 1st time on radio,thought i'd look on utube, and guess what its there,a superb version indeed

[JackSkellingFrost]

Okay okay, some people like Pulp's version, some people like Shatner's..

Can we just all agree that My Chemical Romance's cover of this song is shite?

[priorblood8]

holy shit this is good! fuck yeah shatner!

[UrsuTheWarrior]

Shatner's rage is perfect in this song.

[aj29694]

i wish i was shatner

[Zefiris100]

I never expected Shatner's cover to be this awesome! In fact, the rest of the songs I've listened to from 'Has Been' are great too! Especially Real, that's well worth checking out

[vlcupper]

I can seriously not stop listening to this. I had it on repeat all day while I was at the mall.

[TheChapelx]

Fucking amazing.Thank you Cracked

[kris242]

holy motherfuck! I was expecting this to be so god-awful... I am baffled right now... this is amazing!

[battlesniper42]

I just bought this on iTunes. If you would've told me a couple weeks ago that I'd happily buy a Shatner song on iTunes I'd have laughed in your face.

But it's just so good...

[jsebright11]

This is fucking terrible

[Capnsensible80]

@jsebright11

Care to elaborate on why? This is the best version I've heard of this song, including the original.

[jsebright11]

@Capnsensible80 It misses the whole point of the original. In Pulp's version, Jarvis is singing as one of the common people, but this cover just sounds snooty...plus is sounds terrible with an American accent, and the instrumentalisation just isn't as good as Pulp's.

[thebigsmuz]

@jsebright11 How is this not to sound snooty anyway? Snooty isn't just for the rich. This is a song about common people looking down on the rich kids who like to go 'slumming'. That's just as snooty and elitist as any rich person looking down their nose at a poor person. Furthermore, I think the airy instrumentals and overall sound of Pulp's original version fail to match the intensity of the lyrics. I think the derision in Shatner's delivery matches the attitude of the song perfectly.

[catcherinthesty]

@thebigsmuz How is it snooty to consider people who think that they can seamlessly inject themselves into your subculture are arrogant? It's one thing to look down your nose at someone who is in their own element - which is not what this song is about - it's another thing to resent people who believe they can magically become part of your culture for a few months or years just because they want to.

[thebigsmuz]

@catcherinthesty lol It's snooty and arrogant to assume that someone couldn't possibly emulate your culture just because of where they come from. If a rich kid swears off their parents' support, lives in a shitty apartment, and does what common people do, they'll become a common person. Immersing yourself in a culture inevitably leads to fluency.

That being said, the reason why the girl in this song is ridiculed is because she wants to be poor - and the poor folks think that's an insane desire.

[danny5540]

@thebigsmuz Emulation is imitation, and it is the context of the life lived that is important. It is true that a rich kid can "swear off their parents' support" and live among the common people, sharing superficial things such as the type of accomodations, the attire, et cetera. This does not change the fact that the rich kid can go home as soon as his or her desire to be common dissipates. An actual common person has no such option. The rich kid is a tourist, "and everybody hates a tourist".

[thebigsmuz]

@danny5540 Oh I know, that's the point of the song. My point is simply that it's equally snooty for a poor person to make fun of a rich person as it is for vice versa. Either way it's judging someone and thinking you're better than them based on something as superficial as money. I'm poor, and I have some rich friends. Neither one of us thinks we're better than the other, or more or less entitled.

[MrRydiafan]

@thebigsmuz But the singer isn't making fun of them for being rich. He's making fun of them for demeaning the poor by taking a "vacation" as one of them. "Oh look, I drank a miller light and bought a small apartment. I'm just like you!" No, you aren't.

It's the dishonesty that's infuriating. Be rich and we're cool. Pretend you're poor and you can fuck off.

[thebigsmuz]

@MrRydiafan Goooood point.

[Capnsensible80]

@jsebright11

To each his own,

[juggert]

Woah...i just learnt to respect willianm shatner's musical skills....maybe i'll even forgive him for the sgt pepper's cover

[viralarchitect]

Yes, I'll admit it. I saw this on Cracked.com. That doesn't change the fact that I like what I am hearing and it really IS better than the original.

[lolharbandhar]

Nice to see everyone from cracked.com here, but just for perspective - Mark Kermode called this ages ao.

[gheebur]

41 people can call Dad to stop it all

[Venkman007]

Completely owns the original song. This is FAR superior to the original track.

[Terraxos]

Thanks, Cracked. This was brilliant.

[vlcupper]

Mind. Blown. Somebody needs to blast this in Zuccotti Park.

[SiggDigga]

Wow, I was surprised by how much I liked this, lol.

[savetheworld]

OMG I love this. SHATNER!!!!!

[cknro]

If my midlife crisis produces something like this I'm not sure I would want it to end :))

[kingofmars77]

Awsome :o)

[scofflawyer]

Yeah, like Shatner has any idea, either

[CasusUniversum]

Perfect combination with the lyrics and Shatner. My new favorite song.

[TheLoverboyz901]

y'know, I knew William Shatner had a music career, but punk wasn't the genre that came to mind. I am plesently surprised.

Ps, I know the original version wasn't punk but its better

[KTSamurai]

@TheLoverboyz901 I don't know if I'd call this "punk" but I share your pleasant surprise.

[TheLoverboyz901]

@KTSamurai well, he's certianly angry

[Spideymun]

Wow...that's actually pretty good O.o

[wrarwimadragon]

Holy shit, bad ass song.

[deretsun]

Wow!!! The 3rd ascendancy of Shatner? This is amazing.

Lyrics remind me of the OWS protesters too. Trust fund socialists pretending to be the rest of us.

[RedJezka]

I am shocked that  Shatner made a song I genuinely enjoy....

[gillingsno1]

Im sorry Cracked and Big Bill but just NONONONONONONONONONO !! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD NNNOOOOO !!

[PhenomenonX]

This is ridiculous.

[razzledazzlerob]

Cracked brought me here, 'tis better. One down.

[ArukonsShadow]

WHOA. Shatner was badass at some point! HOLY SHIT THIS IS AWESOME!

[MrKnowitall94]

A lot of people forget that when Shatner isn't busy being a hamtastic punchline, he's a classically-trained, Emmy-winning actor. Nice recitation here, and I really like the heavier orchestration as well.

[JetJap]

This album should be called "Red Shirt Redemption" for all the other bad covers Shatner did.

[CasusUniversum]

Also, fuck hipsters! Fucking tourists!

[CasusUniversum]

Wow, thanks Cracked, this is an incredible song.

[OlaftheFlashy]

Crack brought me here.

And yes this is better than the original.

[LiteraryCupcakes]

I like how he doesn't make an attempt to actually sing this.

[EzbeeOfSnR]

wow they raped this song

[Impulse725]

Damn Bill. I guess you don't always have to do goofy things.

[Sublime99skill]

ME HERE CRACK BROUGHT

[TheVader2]

Better.

Than.

Pulp.

[DruTheSpicy]

Well, the clear course of action now is to petition Jarvis to bring Shatner on stage to do a duet

[TheDillDolls]

Fantastic.

[KennyEspling]

Shatner at his best. Absolutely wonderful.