As a Music Man reader, we will be very shocked if you have never heard the song ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ by Wheatus. A classic song of the early 2000s, the lyrics tell the story of a guy who likes a girl he goes to school with, but who thinks she isn’t interested in him at all—only for her to ask him out at the end of the song.
Now, singer-songwriter Hannah Grae has put an incredible new spin on the tune, uploading an acoustic version to YouTube that features new lyrics written from the girl’s perspective. This clever approach, coupled with Hannah’s stunning, raw vocals and pretty acoustic guitar playing, has seen her cover rack up hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube alone!
We recommend you watch the cover for yourself to get the full effect, but some of Hannah’s lyrics that we particularly love include those she has written for the song’s chorus: “you’re not just a teenage dirtbag, baby / come listen to Iron Maiden, baby, with me.” It is little surprise that the cover has since become popular with fans of the original, with even Wheatus themselves praising Hannah’s video.
Only one video on Hannah Grae’s YouTube channel has become more popular than her novel spin on ‘Teenage Dirtbag’. It’s a video with a similar theme, this time finding her putting a spin on Gigi Perez’s ‘Sailor Song’ by changing the lyrics as though they were written from the perspective of the person Gigi was singing to in the original.
It’s not easy to find a unique sound or approach in today’s music industry, but Hannah Grae has undoubtedly done this with her covers of famous songs featuring the lyrics changed to reflect a different perspective. I particularly love her ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ cover, and the fact that Wheatus themselves commented on it is surely a testament to both her talent and originality.
Hannah Grae’s heartfelt, inventive take on “Teenage Dirtbag” marks her as an artist to watch — she’s given a familiar classic a fresh, compelling voice. Want to hear the cover and explore more from Hannah? Useful links to stream the video, follow her socials and find out more are just below this paragraph.