PJ Harvey - Zaz Turned Blue (cover)

This song was written by progressive pop band Was (Not Was) in 1983 for album Born to Laugh At Tornadoes and performed by american jazz singer Mel Tormé

Lyric:
Zaz had red hair
He didn't care
He always laughed loud
He wasn't proud
Just a real easy guy
Wouldn't tell a lie
But then one day
Zaz turned blue

Zaz turned blue
What were we supposed to do
Yeah, Zaz turned blue
What were we supposed to do
When Zaz turned blue

One night in the park
For a lark
Zaz let Steve Brown
Fool around
Steve squeezed his neck
Figure what the heck
But Zaz hit the ground
He was down

Oh, Zaz turned blue
What were we supposed to do
Yeah, Zaz turned blue
What were we supposed to do
When Zaz turned blue

After high school
Zaz was cool
He worked on cars
And went to bars
And then one day
He went away
And became a marine
At the age of eighteen

But he didn't want to fight
Didn't do it out of spite
And he didn't want to die
No, he didn't want to die
And he seemed kind of strange
Could it be that he changed
On that night in the park
When he fainted in the dark

Zaz didn't die
Lucky guy
There were no parades
How the glory fades
Now he shoots lots of pool
And as a rule
Wears a silly grin
On his chin
It all started when

Zaz turned blue
What were we supposed to do
Yeah, when Zaz turned blue
What were we supposed to do
When Zaz turned blue

Category:

Music

Tags:

• PJ Harvey
• Polly Jean Harvey
• Eric Drew Feldman
• Zaz Turned Blue
• Was (Not Was)
• Mel Tormé
• cover

[TeenageWildlife]

you wouldn't happen to have a copy of Dance would you? it's a B-side from UHH, I think from the Shame single 7-inch version (but apparently it was first written way back around the time of 4-Track Demos). she quotes some Dylan lyrics in it..

[ZZqezza]

Dance?? wow that's a suprise because I thought that the only b-side of Shame is 97 Degrees. I will definitely look for Dance:-)

[ZZqezza]

As far as I know this cover (from 1994 I think) is collaboration between Polly and Eric Drew Feldman who is a keyboard and bass guitar player, he played on TBYML and ITD? and also toured with Polly.

[osliczka13]

Ive never heard about this song. Where did you take it from? When did she record it?

[ZZqezza]

And I found this song by chance when I was looking for some stuff which actually had nothing to do with Polly... I got it from some collection of random songs

[lookatdoor]

She has a beautiful side profile

[super1114]

Thanks once again ZZ. I love you for allowing all the pj worshipers to here these great songs

[dbarroga]

@osliczka13 Various Artists , Audio CD, Lounge-A-Palooza 1997

[thehouseofwadelee]

i like this a lot!

[UltraHyperGirl]

This is amazing! I would love to track this song down! Oh my GOD it's so gorgeous, her voice sounds incredible!

[becingu]

Yep, this is PJ Harvey and Eric Drew Feldman from the Lounge-a-palooza album (Hollywood/Disney). As one of the album's producers, I sent her a mixtape of fairly typical lounge song, and included the original Was (Not Was) version of this at the end, never expecting her to choose it. Gladshe did. And thanks to Eric, who's also played with Beefheart, Snakefinger and the Pixies, for making this track happen. If I remember correctly, the main instruments he used were an old Wurlitzer and an Optigan.

[becingu]

Yep, this is PJ Harvey and Eric Drew Feldman from the Lounge-a-palooza album (Hollywood/Disney). As one of the album's producers, I sent her a mixtape of fairly typical lounge song, and included the original Was (Not Was) version of this at the end, never expecting her to choose it. Glas she did. And thanks to Eric, who's also played with Beefheart, Snakefinger and the Pixies, for making this track happen. If I remember correctly, the main instruments he used are an old Wurlitzer and an Optigan.

[ProgressivePiano]

When this song started with the Rhodes I thought - yes - worthy cover but this bored and monotone vocals on it destroy any emotion the lyrics should express. This vocal style may be somewhat artful but in my opinion it's only artsy-fartsy and this interpretation doesn't capture the emotional capacity of the original.

[BACCHUS441]

@super1114 YES THANK YOU SO MUCH ZZ, I FEEL LIKE I MISSED OUT. JOINING THIS CONVERSATION A YEAR LATE.

[dksintheusa]

If you want to hear the very BEST version of this song, go to the original. Don Was cajoled Mel Torme (the Velvet Fog) into singing this song for "Born to Laugh at Tornadoes". Torme' is the wonderful talent who wrote the ultimate Christmas song..."Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...". Look up Mel Torme and listen to this song the way Was intended it to be sung.

[AvrKadavr]

You are like an angel, here in YT ;D Thank you. It's nice to find something like that :) Song is relly pretty. I wonder if original song is somewhere in YT too..