Ke$ha’s “Die Young” is about the last track you might expect to be covered by a country singer in an old saloon style, but that’s probably exactly why YouTube’s “Postmodern Jukebox” band decided to give it a go. If you’ve ever wondered what “Die Young” sounds like when it is sung in a completely different manner and played by more intricate musicians, you probably want to give the following video a shot.
“Die Young” played in old saloon style has all of the fiddle and piano work one might expect from such an endeavor. You’d think the red-lipsticked young lady belting out the lyrics would be the most distracting thing about this video, but as it turns out, it’s a hell of a lot more fun to watch the keyboard player flit lightly across the keys. Lyrically, this interesting rendition really just proves to point out exactly how silly “Die Young” is, but no one ever said this cover was perfect.
The Postmodern Jukebox cover is not the first band to ever take another genre and turn it into music with a western lilt. I personally also enjoy The Gourd’s cover of Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice,” as well as Ben Fold’s version of “Bitches Ain’t Shit” by Dr. Dre. What’s new about this cover is its Old West sensibility. Maybe it will even inspire Ke$ha to bust out some cowboy boots and throw in a few “Yeehaw’s” soon, as well.
