Song covers that are better than the originals

The you know what they say about opinions adage may apply... (IMO in some cases covers can be good or interesting, but there's no such thing as better). Anyway The Shadows cover of Sleepwalk is real good... same with The Who/ Young Man Blues, Mountain's/ Theme For An Imaginary Western and Steve Khan's/ Penetration. I recently picked up a disc by The Asphalt Orchestra cuz it was cheap and had a cover of Zomby Woof and a Mingus composition on it. Turns out they are an amazingly good marching band... big surprise for me was a Bjork cover, (Hyper Ballad). Don't know what the original is like, but the Asphalt Orch. version is likely to make most FZ fans stand up and pledge allegiance to the Grand Wazoo or at least almost drive off the road like I did.

PS The Ayers Rock cover of Weather Report's Boogie Woogie Waltz, (i know it's a dumb song title) smokes and has groovier'n hell guitar work on it.

I just found a new one:

Grant Green covering The Isley Bros. "It's Your Thing". This is a great take on a classic - definitely worth checking out.

Marty

Dance Society"s cover of the Stones "1000 Light Years From
Home"

The Cure's cover of "Purple Haze" on the Hendrix tribute album "Stonefree"

Johnny Cash - Hurt. Way WAY better. One of the seminal recordings of the decade.

other honorable mentions - with a jazzy bent:

Bjork's Hyperballad - covered by that polish piano guy on ECM that I can't pronounce.

Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden - "Moon is a Harsh Mistress" is amazing. Dozens of guys trying to play it on youtube - doing covers of his cover if you will. Jimmy Webb's own recent recording is pretty nice.

Bill Frisell doing Madonna's Live to Tell or John Hiatt's Have a Little Faith... OK, hard to say they are "better" but for a jazz fan "more interesting."

Jeff Beck's A Day in the Life. I know you can't beat the beatles, but his is better than Paul McCartney's recent live version if you ask me.

I like Elliot Smith doing SuperSonic better than Oasis.

And lastly -rap anthem Straight Outta Compton, NGA original. Nina Gordon's delicate ACOUSTIC version is incredible, melodious and hilarious.

agree with gdoodle on johnny cash. personally, i think the seeemingly endless series of his "american recordings" covers albums are way overhyped, but "hurt" is the song he was born to sing.
i don't know if anyone's mentioned the ultimate cover band, this mortal coil, who absolutely nail some fantastic, if underheard songs like "i am the cosmos" (chris bell), "strength of strings" (gene clark) and "another day" (roy harper), which is arguably the prettiest song in the english language.