''Ronan Keating’s officially off the hook''.
Covers of The Pouges' iconic hit “Fairytale of New York” rarely manage to impress...
And the most recent superstar to have a go at covering the legendary Christmas track is Jon Bon Jovi.
The ''Livin' on a Prayer'' singer announced on Monday (7 December), that he was releasing his new holiday album A Jon Bon Jovi Christmas in a short video he shared on Twitter.
Bon Jovi accompanied the clip with a caption declaring the album “an early gift from me to you”.
The album includes three festive covers including Tom Petty’s “Christmas All Over Again” and Elvis Presley’s “If I Get Home On Christmas Day”.
However it's the rendition of Fairytale of New York that has fans riled up, with people taking issue with the fact he has chosen to sing both the male and female parts himself.
He also chose to completely re-write the controversial second verse, with the original reading:
"You're a bum
You're a punk
You're an old sl*t on junk
Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
You scumbag, you maggot
You cheap lousy f****t
Happy Christmas your arse
I pray God it's our last."
But Jon Bon Jovi has changed it to:
"You're a bum, you're a braggart
You've lost all your swagger
And the word around town is you ain't much in bed
You're a squirrel cause you're nuts
You're a kick in the gut
Happy Christmas, my arse
I'll be glad it's our last."
You can take a listen for yourself here:
Twitter is often not the nicest of places, and people certainly didn't hold back on their opinions...
On the radio just now, they turned off Jon Bon Jovi's cover of Fairytale of New York halfway through because it's just too awful.
— Mark A Latham (@aLostVictorian) December 8, 2020
'what this world needs is Jon Bon Jovi covering Fairytale of New York' said no one ever
— Heather (@H2_OH) December 7, 2020
2020 has been pretty terrible, but nothing comes close to how terrible Bon Jovi’s version Fairytale of New York is! ?
— James Lyden (@JAMESDLYDEN) December 8, 2020
If you think YOU'RE having a bad day, listen to Jon Bon Jovi duetting with HIMSELF on Fairytale of New York.https://t.co/t3EOyN7EFb
— Neil Studd (@dustlined) December 8, 2020
Jon Bon Jovi’s version of ’Fairytale of New York’ is much, much worse than you could imagine - not least because he takes on both roles himself. Ronan Keating’s officially off the hook.
— John Connolly (@jkconnolly) December 7, 2020
Just listened to the Bon Jovi version of Fairytale of New York and I can honestly say, with no exaggeration whatsoever, that my day is ruined.
— Dublin By Pub (@dublinbypub) December 8, 2020
