Original and cover:Because The Night

A classic song originally done by Patti Smith, (and cowritten by Bruce Springsteen). This first appeared on Patti Smith's 1978 album, Easter and has become a classic song in her catalog. The song itself speaks of how men and women both view love and the nature of lust vs. love. The woman takes the initiative yet longs to be submissive "under your command" which satisfies the men's need for dominance. A very abstract, powerful song. Here version appears as follows"

The song has been covered countless times, the most famous cover version if from 10,000 Maniacs on their 1993 Unplugged album. It's common on MTV's Unplugged to perform cover songs, and this was no exception. 10,000 Maniacs were college rock darlings but have yet to score an actual hit. This song propelled them all the way to #11 on the Billboard charts, making it the biggest hit of their career. Natalie Merchant captures the nuances of the original song, along with the simple piano playing throughout. Natalie Merchant is an excellent vocalist but I feel this version lacks the energy of the original. It's still a beautiful song no matter who sings it. I couldn't find the 10,000 Maniacs version on youtube but here is Natalie Merchant doing it solo on the David Letterman show.

Link for the Unplugged version...