I almost missed the current Battle of the Bands. I confoosed the date, along with how to spell certain words.
It's time for the October 15, 2015, Battle of the Bands.
Mr. Stephen T. McCarthy provides us with this information about the bloghop:
The whole thing is really quite simple: You select two different versions of the same song (versions you feel might give each other some competition in the voting) and you post them on the 1st and the 15th of each month. On the 7th and 21st of each month, you add your own personal vote to the mix, total up all the votes and announce the winner on your blog.
Beyond that, just try to have fun with it and let your readers/voters have fun with it.
All righty, then. Let's have fun!
I feel moved every time I hear Take Me To Church. Our contenders are Hozier and Demi Lovato. Please vote for your preferred version of this song in the comments. Therefore, you will vote for Hozier or Demi Lovato. I'll reveal the winner on October 21st.
Here's Hozier:
Here's Demi Lovato:
Infinities of love,
Janie Junebug
Lyrics for Take Me To Church by Hozier
My lover's got humour
She's the giggle at a funeral
Knows everybody's disapproval
I should've worshiped her sooner
If the heavens ever did speak
She's the last true mouthpiece
Every Sunday's getting more bleak
A fresh poison each week
"We were born sick," you heard them say it
My church offers no absolutes
She tells me, "Worship in the bedroom."
The only heaven I'll be sent to
Is when I'm alone with you
I was born sick
But I love it
Command me to be well
Aaay. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[Chorus 2x:]
Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife
Offer me that deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life
If I'm a pagan of the good times
My lover's the sunlight
To keep the Goddess on my side
She demands a sacrifice
Drain the whole sea
Get something shiny
Something meaty for the main course
That's a fine-looking high horse
What you got in the stable?
We've a lot of starving faithful
That looks tasty
That looks plenty
This is hungry work
[Chorus 2x:]
Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife
Offer me my deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life
No Masters or Kings
When the Ritual begins
There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin
In the madness and soil of that sad earthly scene
Only then I am human
Only then I am clean
Ooh oh. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[Chorus 2x:]
Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife
Offer me that deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life
She's the giggle at a funeral
Knows everybody's disapproval
I should've worshiped her sooner
If the heavens ever did speak
She's the last true mouthpiece
Every Sunday's getting more bleak
A fresh poison each week
"We were born sick," you heard them say it
My church offers no absolutes
She tells me, "Worship in the bedroom."
The only heaven I'll be sent to
Is when I'm alone with you
I was born sick
But I love it
Command me to be well
Aaay. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[Chorus 2x:]
Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife
Offer me that deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life
If I'm a pagan of the good times
My lover's the sunlight
To keep the Goddess on my side
She demands a sacrifice
Drain the whole sea
Get something shiny
Something meaty for the main course
That's a fine-looking high horse
What you got in the stable?
We've a lot of starving faithful
That looks tasty
That looks plenty
This is hungry work
[Chorus 2x:]
Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife
Offer me my deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life
No Masters or Kings
When the Ritual begins
There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin
In the madness and soil of that sad earthly scene
Only then I am human
Only then I am clean
Ooh oh. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[Chorus 2x:]
Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife
Offer me that deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life
While I enjoy both, I have to say I love the original.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely adore this song. It's one of my all-time faves. Demi Lovato does a stunning rendition of it plus there's that same-sex frisson when she sings about a female lover. But I'm still going to vote for the original version by Hozier which is amazing in its own right. Plus he wrote it, so that's got to give him an edge.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good one. They both give it their all, but in the end, I have to go with the original, Hozier. I also may have been biased by the videos. Demi is singing her ass off, but it's just her singing, the Hozier video has dudes smoking weed and making out. No contest if we go by video. I give half of all of my votes to Hozier.
ReplyDeleteHi, Janie Junebug! Hi Franklin! Hi, Penelope!
ReplyDeleteThis is a cool song and your battle offers a clear choice of styles. For some reason I go all John Blutarsky and feel like smashing a guitar against a wall when I listen to most modern pop divas. Therefore, I cannot bring myself to vote for Demi (unless it's Demi Moore in Striptease). I much prefer the Indie rock sound of the original singer and songwriter, Irishman Andrew Hozier-Byrne.
Thank you, Janie Junebug!
My sister listens to some contemporary music cable TV station that plays music like this. Last couple times I visited Tennessee I heard this song so many times that it did grow on me. Not my favorite song, but it's an interesting tune.
ReplyDeleteI like Demi and she did a nice cover of this song, but it was essentially just another cover by a female artist, done well, but kind of same ol' same ol'. I did like the addition of the background singers toward the end.
Hozier owns all versions of this song. He gives the song a fullness that has such a haunting sound.
I vote for Hozier. The song is more powerful in his hands.
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
I love, love, love the original! Watching that video made me even get a little tear to my eye. Great stuff, well... not great per se. Dramatic, I guess would be a better word.
ReplyDeleteVote: Hozier
My vote is going to the original Hozier. It's a richer sound. Demi did a nice job with her version but I just like the sound of Hozier's better.
ReplyDeleteGood battle.
Michele at Angels Bark
I almost always prefer the originals.
ReplyDeleteI'm going with Hozier, although I really didn't care for either.
ReplyDeleteWOW! Demi does a great job with this song. I have a new respect for her as a vocalist. That said, I still prefer the original by Hozier. He makes me "feel" the lyrics more.
ReplyDeleteMore heart and haunting in the original and I love the chilling video--which makes the point of the song much more deeply.
ReplyDeleteNot one of my favourite songs. One of the few I'll switch channels to see if something else is on, actually. Something about Hozier's voice grates on me. Give my vote to Demi for this battle.
ReplyDeleteDemi Lovato does a good job with the cover, but I prefer the original by Hozier. Reading the comments, I see that I'm not alone here.
ReplyDeleteBoth of us already liked the original going into this. Neither of us are fans of Demi Lovato in the slightest. But having listened to her version... okay, we're still not fans. We both very easily vote for Hozier. His voice just suits the hauntingness of the song so much more.
ReplyDeleteHozier has my vote. Great vocal without screaming like a banshee...which is Demi Lovato. I feel she is trying too hard at the end especially
ReplyDeleteNo doubt about it - this Hozier's song.
ReplyDeleteJanice, sorry for getting by so late this week. It seems I'm struggling just to keep up. Anywho, this is a no contest deal for me coz Hozier totally owns this song ~ love his version. the. best! Good battle, my friend.
ReplyDeleteWhooooa... I'd never heard of Demi Lovato, but she's got a voice on her. I'll look forward to hearing more of her stuff. Key word being her. As in written by her, or at least for her. Which is not the case of Take Me To Church. And which means Hozier gets my vote :)
ReplyDeleteGuilie @ Quiet Laughter
I'd never heard this song before. It was pretty good.
ReplyDeleteI'm voting for HOZIER because Demi's voice started to get on my nerves a little bit by the end of the song.
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
Hi Janie, Franklin & Penelope! Hope all is well.
ReplyDeleteMy vote goes to Hozier. What a video!
Awesome song. Hozier gets my vote. I was moved by the lyrics, felt them.
ReplyDeleteDemi's version caught me by surprise in how good it was. hozier gets my vote though. Demi loses points with me for not feeling the words enough.
ReplyDeleteWOW! If this doesn't end in a shut out, it should, IMO. Demi doesn't come close to Hozier. It's his song and he owns it to the max. Any guess who I'm voting for?
ReplyDeleteI'll vote for Demi Lovato. Bias towards the female vocals and her vocals added a more soulful dynamic on the song!
ReplyDeleteI'll go with demi, since the votes are so lopsided for hozier. I actually llike demi a bit, especially her new bad ass attitude/pop music. What's up with not putting your arms in the arm holes of jackets though? I dont get that.
ReplyDeleteImportant stuff first .....
ReplyDeleteWurfs to Franklin and Penelope who live in a castle with a Queen.
Suprising I liked both. But I liked Hozier better. What feeling in that voice.
I miss this first post again ? your on my blogger but I need daughter to help moving you and a few others over to my blog post.
Hozier is on my musical device. I vote for Hozier. I think someone sang this song on The Voice.
ReplyDelete