When you think of Cher, what comes to mind? Often coined the “Goddess Of Pop,” images of her sparkly jumpsuits, and dazzling catalog of dance hits pop up. She is beloved by every generation, and very few bands have made the choice to cover her songs. Her music’s timeless nature proves it difficult to give her music a different spin. However, Deaf Havana is stepping up to the plate and sharing their love of Cher in their emotional rendition of “If I Could Turn Back Time.”
Originally released as an Amazon Music exclusive, the cover is available on all streaming platforms today. While the original song is known for its palm-muted guitars and driving drumbeat, Deaf Havana took a different approach. Inviting the Parallax Orchestra to perform on the track, the production blends the classical sounds of cellos and violins with pads and electronic drums. This juxtaposition creates a melancholy atmosphere that tugs on the listener’s heartstrings.
In a behind-the-scenes video posted to their YouTube channel, the band shares why they chose to cover the Cher tune.
“It would have been easy for us to do, like, I don’t know, a Bruce Springsteen song,” vocalist James Veck-Gilodi begins. “Just a song that would be more obvious for us. So we wanted to do something that was a bit more challenging and made us think a bit differently about things and work in a slightly different way which is quite exciting.”
Deaf Havana, known for writing introspective lyrics, also felt inspired by the song’s sentiment of reflecting on past mistakes made.
“Lyrically, most of our songs deal with like regrets in the past and stuff so it is [in the] ballpark, it’s not a million miles away,” guitarist Matthew Veck-Gilodi says.
From James’ evocative vocal delivery to the crescendo in the last chorus, this cover is a powerful rendition. We think Cher would approve!
Stream the song below and add it to your weekend playlist.
