"What Have They Done to My Song Ma"
Single by Melanie
from the album Candles in the Rain
A-side"Ruby Tuesday"
Released1970 (1970)
StudioWessex, London
GenreFolk rock
Length2:26
LabelBuddah
Songwriter(s)Safka, H. M. Saffer II
Producer(s)Peter Schekeryk

"What Have They Done to My Song Ma" is a song written and performed by Melanie (Safka). It was co-written by H. M. Saffer II, a notable American painter and musician who worked for Warner Brothers Productions.[1]

It was released in 1970 as the B-side of Melanie's "Ruby Tuesday" single and included on the album Candles in the Rain. The single reached the number 39 in the United Kingdom and peaked within the top 20 in Norway and the Wallonia region of Belgium.

Other artists have recorded it as "Look What They've Done to My Song Ma",[2] after the song's first line, and this title also is used on Melanie's official YouTube page.[3]

Cover versions

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Daliah Lavi recorded a successful German version of the song in 1971 and Ray Charles released a cover (as "Look What They've Done to My Song, Ma") in 1972. It has also been tackled by many other artists, including Nina Simone, the New Seekers, and Billie Jo Spears. The New Seekers' version topped the New Zealand Singles Chart and reached the top 10 in Australia, Canada, and on the US Billboard Easy Listening chart.[4][5][6][7]

Dalida recorded the song in French and Italian[8] and released both as singles. Czechoslovak singer Helena Vondráčková did a rendition in 1971 as "Kam zmizel ten starý song" with Czech lyrics by Zdeněk Borovec. Jeanette did an English/French version in 1973. Yugoslav rock band Bajaga i Instruktori released a cover of it with lyrics in Serbian, called "Vidi šta sam ti uradio od pesme, mama", in 1985.

It was used in the 1970s as a commercial for Lifebuoy soap ("Look what they've done to my Lifebuoy"), and in the 1980s as a commercial jingle for Ramada Inn (as "Look what they've done to Ramada") and for Oatmeal Crisp cereal (as "Look what they've done to my oatmeal"). In October 2012, Miley Cyrus released a video of her own acoustic version of the song as part of her Backyard Sessions series. In 2015, Melanie joined her to duet on the song in addition to "Peace Will Come (According to Plan)".[9][10] Another take on the song was done by Jack Wild that appeared on his album Everything's Coming Up Roses, released in 1971.

Charts

Melanie version

Chart (1970–1971) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[11] 14
Norway (VG-lista)[12] 6
UK Singles (OCC)[13] 39

Dalida version

Chart (1970–1971) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[14] 16

New Seekers version

References

  1. ^ "HM Saffer's Biography". www.hmsaffer.com. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  2. ^ "Look What They've Done to My Song, Ma" discographical search results at 45cat.com, retrieved February 8, 2019
  3. ^ Official YouTube Page, retrieved May 5, 2023
  4. ^ a b "NZ Listener chart statistics for Look What They've Done to My Song, Ma". flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. ^ a b "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3708." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c "RPM's Top 100 of 1970". RPM. Retrieved September 26, 2020 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  8. ^ ILS ONT CHANGÉ MA CHANSON
  9. ^ "Happy Hippie Presents: Look What They've Done to My Song Ma (Performed by Miley Cyrus &..." YouTube. May 12, 2015.
  10. ^ "Happy Hippie Presents: Peace Will Come (According to Plan) (Performed by Miley Cyrus & ..." YouTube. May 12, 2015.
  11. ^ "Melanie – What Have They Done to My Song, Ma" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  12. ^ "Melanie – What Have They Done to My Song, Ma". VG-lista. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  13. ^ "Melanie: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  14. ^ "Dalida – Ils ont changé ma chanson, ma" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  15. ^ "The New Seekers – Look What They've Done to My Song, Ma" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  16. ^ "The New Seekers – Look What They've Done to My Song, Ma" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  17. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 6967." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  18. ^ "New Seekers: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  19. ^ "The New Seekers Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 27, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  20. ^ https://www.billboard.com/artist/ray-charles/
  21. ^ https://www.billboard.com/artist/ray-charles/
  22. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1970". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
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