Bob Dylan Records Gender-Swapped Cover of ‘She’s Funny That Way’
Bob Dylan's recent tour through the American Songbook has led to an interesting detour: "He's Funny That Way," a gender-swapped version of the pop standard he contributed to the new compilation Universal Love.
As the The New York Times reports, Dylan is one of several artists to take part in the EP, which was funded by MGM Resorts International in an attempt to collect "wedding anthems for same-sex couples."
Due in stores tomorrow, the album also features Kele Okereke (who covers "My Guy"), St. Vincent (who switches "And Then He Kissed Me" to "And Then She Kissed Me"), Valerie June (who turns "Mad About the Boy" into "Mad About the Girl"), Kesha (who covers Janis Joplin's "I Need a Man to Love" as "I Need a Woman to Love") and Ben Gibbard (who switches the Beatles' "And I Love Her" to "And I Love Him").
You can hear Dylan's contribution below.
The Times spoke with executive producer Rob Kaplan, who outlined the project's journey — including his approach to Dylan, who declined to be interviewed for the article but was reportedly just as enthusiastic as any of his fellow artists. Saying Dylan agreed to take part quickly, Kaplan added, "It wasn’t just ‘Yes, I’ll do this.’ It was ‘Hey, I have an idea for a song.’"
"He's Funny That Way" follows last year's Triplicate, which found Dylan reinterpreting three discs' worth of classic American songs. He's scheduled to spend the spring touring Europe, with a summer stop booked in Japan Fuji Rock Festival; visit Dylan's official site for a complete list of shows and ticketing information.