On my video you see I'm really a cracker

Imitation is the highest form of flatery, or so I have been told. Whether it be fashion, diction, ideals, or even hair style, imitation is all around us. Originality it would seem is not popular culture's strong point. From the knock-off Crocs (I know I'm not the only person out there who thinks anyone over the age of 10 should be prohibited from wearing these) I am subjected to daily, to the scruffy, ill-bathed pseudo-intellectuals in the umpteen philosophy classes around the world who think that by pretending to be Heidegger they can attain some sort of elitist identity, imitation is seemingly an integral part of modern identity. This also goes for music as well. For decades, bands and artists alike have emulated and imitated those talented forefathers of music. They take from them inspiration, and without fail list them as influences on their own style. In nearly every genre of music you can play this handy little game of " Where would __________ be without ____________". Where would The Killers be without Duran Duran? Where would the melodic death metal scene be without the Gothenberg trio? Or better yet, where would the grunge movement be without Neil Young (grandaddy of grunge, hello?)? The line between emulation and imitation is fine and frustratingly blurry.

When it comes to imitation in music, nothing speaks louder than the cover song. Cover song-- handy little fallbacks for live shows, or half-assed attempt at flattery? I've always been wary of cover songs. Maybe I'm a purist at heart, and believe that only the original artist is the definitive benchmark for how a song should sound, but I firmly believe that cover songs should be few and far between. I'm of the firm belief that if you cannot add a new dimension to an already worthy song, why cover it? Is it really that hard to write your own music? I direct this question at Scarlet Johansson, who for whatever reason decided to butcher Tom Waits on her recently released Anywhere I Lay My Head album. That's right, just because you're Woody Allen's newest ingenue, does not give you the right to put out such a poor showing of cover songs. For shame.

Cover songs when done right can provide an even deeper love of the song and sometimes original artist. When I think of cover songs done well my thoughts always run straight to Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah", which is technically a second-hand cover, as his version was influenced by John Cale's version from 1991 (listen to Fragments of a Rainy Season to really hear the beauty of Cale's version". The song, originally performed by Leonard Cohen, has been reworked countless times, and personally I have found greater affinity for later versions, Cale's in particular. To each their own.

Do you have any favourite cover songs? Or even songs you wish had never been covered? Or do you secretely adore Alien Ant Farm's cover of Smooth Criminal, and are just afraid to admit it?

If all else fails though, we can just make mockery of songs, like this.