Ain T That A Shame Pat Boone Analysis

While Pat Boone’s cover of “Ain’t That a Shame” (1955), originally performed by Fats Domino, has many similarities to the original, there are a few differences that alter the song and arguably its meaning. Although the two versions have nearly the same rhythm, harmony, and form; the groove, vocal delivery, and a subtle lyric change make the two versions of the song quite distinct. Because of these differences, the Fats Domino version of the song has a much more easygoing and optimistic vibe than the Pat Boone cover, which seemingly puts more emphasis on the heartbreak described in the lyrics. Additionally, the alterations Pat Boone made to the original song allows him to appeal more to a white, conservative audience. Despite Pat Boone putting

By changing “oh well” to “farewell,” slowing down the chorus, and adding more emotion to his vocals, Pat Boone does not leave the song open for interpretation of the meaning the same way Fats Domino does. While this does help him appeal to his more conservative audience, his version does not seem to embody the mixed emotions one can experience when a relationship comes to an end. The Fats Domino version combines the sad lyrics with the easygoing and optimistic vocal delivery and background music. This allows his version to embody both the heartbreak one may feel, but also the bittersweetness of reaching the end of a relationship that is not working out. Additionally, the Fats Domino version also hints at moving on with the lyric “oh well, goodbye” and the upbeat music, which is another thing the listener may relate to when thinking about the end of a relationship. Furthermore, Pat Boone’s vocal delivery seems quite melodramatic in comparison to Fats Domino, which gets rid of the authenticity and makes it seems as if his cover of the song is more for performance than it is to express feelings about a former lover. Fats Domino’s more easygoing, nearly spoken delivery of the lyrics makes it feel as though he is reading a letter he wrote to a former

He made just enough changes to make the song appeal to a different audience more, but his cover really did not add much musically to it. The Pat Boone version of the song sounded more pop with country & western influence, in contrast to the original R&B version by Fats Domino. However, the rhythm, harmony, form, most of the lyrics, and much of the instrumentation was kept the same, so without Pat Boone’s vocals, the cover feels nearly the same as the original, but with a slightly different texture. To an untrained ear and on the first listen to both songs, the cover sounds nearly the same as the original version. This also makes the Pat Boone cover seem less sincere than the Fats Domino version because he did not make much of an attempt to make his cover notably different or “his own.” His intent seemed to be mostly to deliver the song to a different audience rather than to use the song to tell a story that he related to. Additionally, he altered the meaning of the song somewhat, but he did not add much of a new perspective given that the song was still coming from the point-of-view of a man who had gotten his heartbroken by his lover. In contrasts, Fats Domino’s original version seemed like it was intended to cover the mixed emotions that one may feel at the end of a relationship, and