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Cierra Lurz

Professor Flores

English 1201

13 February 2022

Never Gonna Dance Again

Music has the power to bring people together in amazing ways. It’s even better when

artists do their own rendition of a song by another artist. It offers a new perspective of the song

especially when the genres are completely different. George Michael’s “Careless Whisper” is a

famous pop ballad from 1984 about someone getting one final dance with a lover they cheated

on, which can be a relatable song for those who are or have been in an unfaithful relationship.

Although sonically, it is smooth and somber, its 2007 cover by rock band, Seether, holds a much

heavier and darker tone, appealing to their fans and lovers of post-grunge and hard rock. The

music video for Michael’s version more appropriately embodies what the true meaning of the

song as a whole is compared to Seether’s music video, which isn’t as blunt.

The music video for the original song focuses on a man and his partner, aware of the fact

that she’s being cheated on, getting the chance to dance together one last time before they

officially break up. The woman, knowing the truth about her relationship, decides to take the

opportunity to share one last happy moment with the man she used to love. The lyrics that

George Michael conveys such as “I should’ve known better than to cheat a friend / And waste

the chance that I’d been given” proves that the main claim of the music video and song itself is

that cheating on the one you are with can put you in a rut and leave you with feelings of guilt,

shame, and regret (Michael). Since this is a piece that epitomizes George Michael’s experience

when he was younger, he even says himself that his “guilty feet have got no rhythm” (Michael).
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He feels that he can no longer dance like he once used to living with the faults that he put on

himself. With these lyrics, Michael uses the pathos persuasive appeal, the appeal to emotion, to

prompt people who listen to this song to feel a connection to it or simply just make them feel

sentimental. It’s evident that this appeal was very effective, as it’s a hit song that many

individuals still love and listen to today.

On the contrary, Seether’s music video of “Careless Whisper” does not directly relate to

the song and its overall message and it also doesn’t take itself too seriously. The band intended

the cover to be a joke for their fans for Valentine’s Day, yet the tone along with the passion-

filled vocals and instrumentals make it a popular one. The music video is of Shaun Morgan, the

lead singer of Seether, who attempts to overcome and beat obstacles that are thrown at him as a

character in an old-school video game. Essentially, the video is an homage to references from the

80s when the original song was released. In the style of an 8-bit video game, it includes clips that

hint at specific arcade games and movies such as Street Fighter, Frogger, The Karate Kid, Back

to the Future, and more, which all came out in the 1980s. This music video doesn’t seem to have

any other intentions besides being an ode to this particular decade. The vibes of it are fun and

light, just like Seether’s objective for the cover. Metaphorically speaking, though, Seether’s

music video for “Careless Whisper” could potentially represent the way George Michael had to

handle the occurrence and aftermath of his mistakes as a boyfriend. All of the different levels

that Shaun Morgan’s character in the video game had to beat in order to win might symbolize the

hardships and mental battles that one would encounter in a disloyal relationship to finally be

healed from everything that they had experienced.

In conclusion, Morgan’s rough and grunge voice adds a lot of emotion to the cover,

which is probably why it’s favored by many, affecting the audience’s emotions with the pathos
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appeal. The original song was heartfelt and true with its intentions, but the mainstream pop

sound with the smooth saxophones lacked a lot of raw passion that Seether provided. While

Michael’s version uses the pathos appeal, as well, it's hard to believe that the song wasn’t made

solely for a quick buck and to use as ear candy for mainstream radio stations like a lot of music is

made today. Despite this, the original version did achieve the creation of a fitting music video

including romance and heartbreak all in one, unlike Seether’s unserious take of a music video.
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Works Cited

“George Michael - Careless Whisper (Official Video).” YouTube, 25 October 2009,

https://youtu.be/izGwDsrQ1eQ. Accessed 13 February 2022.

Ridgeley, Andrew. “Wham! – Careless Whisper Lyrics.” Genius,

https://genius.com/Wham-careless-whisper-lyrics. Accessed 13 February 2022.

“Seether - Careless Whisper.” YouTube, 6 February 2009, https://youtu.be/g0_dyc4IrLg.

Accessed 13 February 2022.