"Kind and Generous" by Todd Almond

 

Broadway writer and performer Todd Almond covers Jamestown, New York singer/songwriter Natalie Merchant's 1998 pop folk single "Kind and Generous."

This is the perfect Thanksgiving cover, as Todd says "Thank You" 52 times over the course of the song (by my count), averaging once every 4.4 seconds.

The back up singers also say "Thank You" quite a bit, but they don't sing throughout, so it's much tougher to determine their gratitude density.

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

And, for a cover by Natalie Merchant (well, 10,000 Maniacs, but she counts for at least 6,432 of those Maniacs), check out their version of Cat Stevens' "Peace Train" here.

"Peace Train" by 10,000 Maniacs

 Look, I love 10,000 Maniacs. They're fantastic.

That said, considering Natalie Merchant's lazy R, London, UK folkie Cat Stevens' 1971 single "Peace Train" is a really weird choice.

I'm not a licensed speech therapist, and can't diagnose rhotacism. But, it's hard not to hear "Everyone jump up on the pee stain!" and "Come on the pee stain!" and "THIS IS THE PEE STAIN!"

And, if people wanted to jump up on the pee stain, they'd spend a lot more time at the Red Roof Inn near the airport.

I can imagine Cat Stevens sitting on a yellow and brown plaid couch in his basement, hearing this cover version on MTV. Suddenly, he bolts upright and throws his metal mixing bowl filled with Cheetos at the television screen, causing spiderwebs of broken glass to spread from the corner.

"Peace Train!," he yells, ripping the television from the wall and slamming it on the ground like he's an 80's wrestler delivering a suplex. "Peace TRRRRRAIN!"

And, that just goes against what should be the ultimate chill of this song.

Serenity now, Cat.