Now, I know that Stephen Stills and Co. experimented with many mind-altering substances, but said knowledge doesn't explain why the non-drugged masses were so quick to embrace this song. I mean, I'm right there with them on the "love the one you're with" sentiment, but am I wrong in my assessment that the rest of the chorus is just plain disconcerting? Eagles? Doves? A rose in a "fisted glove"? A fisted glove? Sounds, um, dirty. I bet this song was big with the '70s renaissance faire set. This cover came into my life via a promotional copy of the Robbie Robertson-produced soundtrack from the Affleck*/Bullock suckfest Forces of Nature, which featured a few other covers that are perhaps better than this. (Come on, I know you want to hate it as much as I do because Bono's so fucking smug, but U2's "Everlasting Love" is pretty damned good. Ditto Swervedriver's clicky intro on their version of "Magic Bus," which you can hear below.) Then again, Chris Tart's funky groove on LTOYW isn't bad. And its a better fit, really, for a "your boyfriend's out of town, baby, let's just fuck already" song than the original—the strange, flowery mythology of the chorus aside.
Now for a question more pressing than those raised by the aforementioned Young Lovers in XXX Fisted Glove Action: Who in the hell is Chris Tart? Supposedly, at the time of this soundtrack's release in 1998, he was signed by Dreamworks and he has since also had an original song featured on the Sidewalks of New York soundtrack, but I've yet to find evidence of the full-length release from him. And there's a dearth of information on him on the Net (Ooh, The Net! That was another Bullock classic!) that isn't about this specific cover, which just seems odd. If he never becomes somewhat famous, the chances of one of his siblings approaching me in a bar to brag about him are slim to none. It makes me so sad.
*Blogger's spell check suggests waffles instead of Affleck. Come to think of it, waffles do sound pretty good right about now. Affleck? Not so much.
As I said, this is a competent cover, which isn't surprising considering it comes from a band so obviously influenced by the Who. More impressive than its listenability, perhaps, is the fact that the often overindulgent and drone-prone Swervedriver managed to keep its length under four minutes.
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