I Don’t Need It Done —Dwight Yoakam

Click: I Don’t Need It Done

When I first heard this version of my song, I had an instant understanding of greatness. You may think of Dwight Yoakam as a pretty boy or a a girl toy in tight jeans—there are a million ways to dismiss a pop star of his magnitude—but it is important to remember what put him near the top of the heap. He has a great voice and he deploys it without mercy. He obviously didn’t mind stealing this song (actually, he paid) from a guy who thought he had sung it pretty well. Short of the Killer singing this, it’s pretty much Dwight’s now. Produced brilliantly by Pete Anderson, this song is locked down and securely out of reach to lesser mortals. I read a story about a plane ride where he sat next to Roy Orbison and they confessed to each other that they both really liked their own voices. This may sound egotistical, but it could be seen as honesty. If you are in the studio with headphones on while you sing and either one of those voices is coming out, forget the vocal lessons. Like the song says, you don’t need it done.

© 2011 John Sieger