Echoes of the Past: The Folk Tradition of Cover Songs and the Moon & the Mind’s Rendition of “Say It Ain’t So”
Weezer - photo sourced from imdb.com
Part One: The Ties That Bind
The art of covering songs is not just a modern phenomenon; it is a vibrant thread woven into the fabric of folk tradition. Through the ages, music has served as a communal experience, a way to share stories, emotions, and cultural identity. Cover songs, in this light, become vessels for reinterpretation and renewal, allowing artists to breathe new life into established narratives. Each cover is a dialogue across time, as the artist honors the original while embedding their unique voice and perspective.
This feature marks the beginning of an eight-part series that will explore the evolving nature of cover songs, focusing on a different rendition with each installment. Each piece will introduce a curated playlist of ten versions of a song, including the featured cover by Moon & the Mind, available on both Apple Music and Spotify under the ongoing series P.AV.lov’s Playlists.
For our inaugural article, we shine a spotlight on Moon & the Mind’s rendition of Weezer’s iconic hit, “Say It Ain’t So,” which is noticeably different right away, with the drums coming in with a more up-tempo beat. The track also features quite a bit of synth, which Ayla refers to as "sprinkles," woven throughout.
The Moon & the Mind: A Collaborative Spirit
Moon & the Mind is a two-piece recording project formed in the summer of 2023, featuring the vocal talents of Ayla Winegar and the production and musical direction by Josh Ramon. Their collaboration was somewhat serendipitous; they met just a few months before Ayla’s planned move to Denver, creating a small window to work together. Yet, the connection was instant and profound. With a sense of urgency but clear artistic vision, they began working on covers that Ayla curated into a playlist telling the story of a queer romance and journey of self-discovery. The Blankets album, which includes two original pieces that open and close the project, captures this transformative narrative.
Their version of “Say It Ain’t So” took extra care and effort to get just right. The process presented its share of challenges, especially during the vocal recording. “Ayla tends to sing on the softer side, almost like an ASMR type of vocal,” Josh shares. “It’s soothing, and I love it, but ‘Say It Ain’t So’ calls for a little more grit.” The room’s untreated acoustics also made capturing the right sound difficult, with echoes disrupting the take. Adding to the complexity, early vocal recordings were set to rough versions of the track, which sounded vastly different from the final version.
The duo ultimately set the song aside, coming back to it after the other songs were complete. “I remember rigging up a broken, partial foam isolation thing around the mic,” Josh recalls, “and it worked.” For the instrumentals, the project was just as labor-intensive but highly rewarding. Josh reconnected with Noah Ritchie, a friend and bandmate from 20 years ago, who laid down some memorable guitar parts for the track. Josh also tackled programming one-shot drums, an intricate task that required careful detail to make the drums feel real and give the song the full rock energy it needed.
Evolution and Legacy of “Say It Ain’t So”
Originally released by Weezer in 1994 on their self-titled Blue Album, “Say It Ain’t So” quickly became a defining track of the 90s alternative rock scene, blending catchy melodies with raw emotional intensity. Written by frontman Rivers Cuomo, the song explores complex family dynamics and the lasting emotional impact of his father’s alcoholism and departure, themes that made it a standout for its cathartic yet catchy composition.
Interestingly, The Blue Album was initially released with two different mixes of “Say It Ain’t So.” According to Wikipedia, which we’ll consider reliable in this case, the original mix—found on the album’s initial pressings—had edited out guitar feedback in the chorus. When the track was later released as a single, it was remixed with the feedback intact and with instruments repositioned slightly within the mix. The band preferred this version so much that they asked for it to replace the original on future pressings of the album, even though the album had already sold a million copies. With the album going on to sell over two million more, the remixed version became the standard.
When recording Moon & the Mind’s version, Josh recalls, “I was actually doing the final mix the night before I had to send off for mastering when I realized I didn’t have any feedback going into the second chorus. Though I leaned into the feedback going into the first chorus, I couldn’t let it go, and at like 4 a.m., I powered up the amps, with my cats looking at me like I was crazy, and recorded a couple of takes of feedback.”
Honorable Mentions
Our playlist features a range of versions that capture the spirit of “Say It Ain’t So” in diverse ways. An honorable mention goes out to Mozella, who made the song their own with a haunting ballad-style rendition driven by piano and eerie looping feedback. Further Seems Forever also deserves a nod, staying close to the original while enhancing it with rich guitar tones. Fans of late 90s/early 2000s emo may also appreciate that Chris Carrabba, from Dashboard Confessional, was the vocalist on this version, paying heartfelt homage to one of his influences.
The Playlist Experience
One thing we noticed while curating these playlists is that not every song is available on both Spotify and Apple Music. While Moon & the Mind’s album is available on all streaming platforms, some of the covers had platform-specific limitations. However, some of these versions were too good to exclude just because they aren’t on both platforms, so listeners may get slight variations in the playlist depending on whether they’re streaming on Apple or Spotify.
In this spirit, we invite you to explore our curated playlist of ten versions of “Say It Ain’t So,” featuring interpretations from a diverse array of artists who have reinterpreted this classic in their unique styles. From soulful renditions to punk-infused takes, these covers illustrate how a single song can morph and evolve, creating a tapestry of sound that bridges generations.
Join us as we delve deeper into the world of cover songs and their enduring legacy in our upcoming installments, where we will explore the artistry behind each version, the artists who breathe new life into familiar melodies, and the stories that continue to connect us across time. Check out P.AV.lov’s Playlists for the full experience: