People have been in cover bands ever since there were paid court musicians - even way back to the writing of the Psalms and probably before that. Many of the Psalms have notes at the opening (to be played or sung according to the tune of ____ ). When king Saul hired David, what was it for? Saul hired David to play the lyre for him when Saul was being tormented. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20samuel%2016&version=NIV

David is credited with writing many of the Psalms. Take note that in some of his Psalms (for example, Psalm 22) David writes who the Psalm is for in Saul's organization and to what tune it's supposed to use. Here's the note from the NIV for Psalm 22: For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.

David was writing lyrics to a cover tune. Sure looks like he was hired to do so, as he submitted the lyrics to the director of music (he wasn't the director of music at the time - I wonder who was?)

These Biblical references are in no way intended to try to introduce a religious bent to this discussion, but only to show that cover tunes have been a regular part of society and put meat on the table for probably the world's most famous lyric writer with documented texts. There are probably others from other cultures and religions for which I have no awareness.

For me, if I didn't learn how to play cover tunes, my songwriting skills would suffer. Then again, I've only been paid to play a few times in my past, so I'm not making a living at it. If I did, then it would be called 'work' and not 'play' - to me at least. Notes' notes here give me some pangs of jealousy, but he has had to work really hard at what he does, to get to the point of being able to enjoy all aspects of his music playing. Even bands that do just their own songs tire of their own songs.

I remember going to a Chris Rice concert (Chris is a popular singer/songwriter in Christian Pop) where he HAD to sing his CARTOON song. He wrote a song that dropped cartoon names by the dozen as a sort of joke and it became his most popular song. He seemed loath to sing it, but honestly, it sold tons of his CDs at the time. He has officially laid the song to rest: http://www.chrisrice.com/articles.php?id=11

-Scott

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