Morrissey A-Z: "East, West"

Probably a dumb question, but do you have to get permission to change a song like this when you cover it?

Obviously the sound of cover versions can be dramatically different from the original, but it's much more rare to re-write the words to such an extent, right? To what extent is this still 100% Graham Gouldman's song, if the lyrics are changed like this at the end?
Re-gendering lyrics is very common when it comes to cover versions, but I think any more substantial changes might leave you open to legal issues. Many years ago Megadeth did a cover of Nancy Sinatra's 'These Boots are Made For Walking' (of all things), and changed some of the lyrics. The original songwriter got pissed and made them pull it, so in any re-issues the lyrics are either bleeped out or have been redone so they are the original ones.

Anyway, in this instance it appears Gouldman didn't have any issues with the lyric changes as he speaks highly of it: “It’s a very Mancunian song for some reason,” Gouldman says. “It makes me always think of Manchester, and I love Morrissey’s cover, it’s great. I never met Morrissey but I quite like him — he is so Mancunian and so am I. In fact, I like the Smiths and I love Johnny Marr; he is great, really great! He is someone that I’d like to work with one day. I don’t know him, but I hope our paths will cross one day.” https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-b...-never-heard-of-spills-after-a-covid-19-bout/
 
You can roll your eyes as much as you like - read the whole article not just the first line.
Stewart wrote the lyrics and Gouldman contributed final touches to the tune the song was rejected by Godley and Creme. They then picked it up again and reworked the whole sound but the lyrics remain Stewart's.
 
You can roll your eyes as much as you like - read the whole article not just the first line.
Stewart wrote the lyrics and Gouldman contributed final touches to the tune the song was rejected by Godley and Creme. They then picked it up again and reworked the whole sound but the lyrics remain Stewart's.
Really not interested.
He's credited as one of the song's writers.
Feel free to go argue with the many actual places 'misrepresenting' the facts as you see them - not the people using said information.
Like Allmusic which is considered a reliable source and they list him as a 'composer' - I'm sure they'll listen to you.
FWD.
 
Really not interested.
He's credited as one of the song's writers.
Feel free to go argue with the many actual places 'misrepresenting' the facts as you see them - not the people using said information.
Like Allmusic which is considered a reliable source and they list him as a 'composer' - I'm sure they'll listen to you.
FWD.
"Really not interested" ha ha you mean "yeah I got it wrong".
He was a composer of the music to that song, but not the lyrics - a bit like Morrissey / Marr (if you have heard of them.) One wrote lyrics and the other the music, both down as composers.
 
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