A fascinating thing happens when a heterosexual woman sings “Tougher Than the Rest.”
When you swap the genders of the singer and the addressee, but you keep the rest of the lyrics intact, the song transforms.
In Bruce’s Tunnel of Love original, the singer is a self-aware, world-weary man who realizes he isn’t every girl’s dream, but who pledges to be true and constant.
When Tracyanne Campbell sings it, though (or Shawn Colvin, or Tracey Thorn, or Martina Linn, who likewise bring new meaning to the song), she doesn’t want every girl’s dream boy. She wants something true, meaningful, and lasting. And just like that, the song changes, but it’s just as powerfully romantic.
It’s a beautiful cover by Traceyanne’s band Camera Obscura, and you can find it on the B-side of their 2009 single, “The Sweetest Thing.”
