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The Animals may have done the best-known cover version, but there are arguably others than better it
To some it’s a masterpiece, to others a dirge, but from 17th century England to 20th century New Orleans, with artists that include Woody Guthrie, Nina Simone, The Animals and alt-J it’s a song that keeps evolving
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Some of the many musicians collaborating on the Playing For Change project
Song of the Day: Yesterday's pick was Cuban played by Africans, today's is an even richer blend with artists from Morocco, Hungary, Mexico, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Senegal, Egypt, India, USA, France and Serbia
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Cesária Evora
Song of the Day: Moving now to and artist from Cape Verde and one of the most beautiful songs, from the singer's her 1992 album Miss Perfumado
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Sona Jarbarteh
Song of the Day: Moving from Ivory Coast and Mali to The Gambia, and the singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer who hails from a long line of Griot kora players with a song to mark her country's 50th independence anniversary in 2015
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Go home, you fuckwit
Song of the Day: To mark the unwelcome visit of the current US president to the UK, two ironic versions of the famous Bob Dylan song that capture the falsehood, narcissism, hypocrisy and divisive racism of the Donald
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From the cover of Bringing It All Back Home, Bob Dylan's fourth album (1965)
Song of the Day: Some songs for Independence Day are patriotic, others heavily critical, but this American dream number sees the then great young lyricist capture his country with surreal, vivid, humorous irony
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Nico. Teutonic stony sadness.
Song of the Day: After Sibylle Baier yesterday, a better known, but in her own way, equally mysterious German singer, best recognised in the Velvet Underground, but here from her own 1967 solo album, Chelsea Girl
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Judy Collins with Leonard Cohen
Song of the Day: After a couple of nun-related songs, let's turn two ethereal songs written by Leonard Cohen, but performed by the singer better known for covering Stephen Sondheim's Send In The Clowns
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Jake Thackray
Song of the Day: From yesterday's Ye Nuns, a gem from the Yorkshire chansonnier from his about a nun who wasn't really one, filled with playful, suggestive images and written in a mock-innocent style
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Who is Joan of Arc?
Song of the Day: After recent songs about the famous who died at a prematurely young age, four very contrasting numbers about the legendary French military heroine who was burned at the stake age 19 in 1431
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Van the man
Song of the Day: After James Carr's soul classic, let's turn down down an unusually upbeat route written by by the Belfast legend for his 1979 album Into The Music, which includes a lyric inspired by it
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Sixto Rodriquez in the early 70s
Song of the Day: After yesterday’s Vashti Bunyan, another inspirational story of obscurity to long-sought recognition fro the mysterious Detroit-born Mexican immigrant singer-songwriter, made famous in the documentary Searching For Sugar Man
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Hair today. Mysterious LUMP dancing.
Song of the Day: Yesterday we highlighted two of Joni MItchell's finest from, and with a California connection, here an English singer-songwriter with a voice that soars with comparable quality, alongside beautiful, otherworldly music from the Tunng frontman and producer
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Joni Mitchell in the early 1970s
Song of the Day: After two previous colourful entries, let's enter the vividly depicted world of the Canadian singer-songwriter, here taking us from Los Angeles to Paris and back on a journey of street and field scenes that capture big issues old and new.
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Dolly's a shade better
Song of the Day: After a colour-themed pair by Mattiel from Atlanta, let's enjoy twin versions from the Tennessee great, who also likes a shade of country and colour, in this tale of patchwork poverty, mother's love, and childhood pride
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Old and yet new: Trembling Bells album cover for 2018's Dungeness
Song of the Day: Following our previous track by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, new songs from the Scottish-formed folk band who collaborated with him on the 2012 album The Marble Downs, but two here from their new LP Dungeness
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Bill Callahan
Song of the Day: The past week has featured a selection of wonderful Scottish artists, several of whom admire and have been influenced by this American singer-songwriter whose voice and simplicity of style has power and profundity
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Going Forth: From the cover of Kathryn Joseph's album Bones You Have Thrown Me And Blood I've Spilled
Song of the Day: Following our previous entry featuring King Creosote and Jon Hopkins, let's turn to another Scottish artist, and fly from bats to birds into an otherworldly sound by the Inverness singer-songwriter
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The album cover of Diamond Mine (2011)
Song of the Day: Continuing with more Scottish-flavour collaborations, more exquisite songs, here by Fife's Kenny Anderson joining forces with the English electronica musician and producer from the 2011 album Diamond Mine
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Aidan Moffat & RM Hubbert
Song of the Day: After yesterday's duo with Bill Wells. another link to Aidan Moffat alongside two other Scottish artists in a beautiful dialogue song between two ex-lovers talking about past and present
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