Lit Riffs: Writers "Cover" Songs They Love

Maggie May (1981) / Lester Bangs, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Maggie May" by Rod Stewart and Martin Quittenton --
The National Anthem / Jonathan Lethem, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Speeding motorcycle" by Daniel Johnston as performed by Yo La Tengo --
Blue guitar / Amanda Davis, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Blue guitar" by the Cowboy Junkies --
Untitled / JT LeRoy, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Everlong" by the Foo Fighters --
Dirty mouth / Tom Perrotta, inspired by the music and lyrics from "I won't back down" by Tom Petty --
Hallelujah / Tanker Dane, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen as performed by Jeff Buckley --
Why go / Lisa Tucker, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Why go" by Pearl Jam --
All the security guards by name / Aimee Bender, inspired by the music and lyrics from "The lobby" by Jane Siberry --
She once had me / Anthony DeCurtis, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Norwegian wood (This bird has flown)" by the Beatles --
Milestones / Hannah Tinti, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Milestones" by Miles Davis --
Death in the alt-country / Neal Pollack, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Mama tried" by Merle Haggard --
I shot the sheriff / Touré, inspired by the music and lyrics from "I shot the sheriff" by Bob Marley --
A simple explanation of the afterlife / Victor LaValle, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Aluminum" by the White Stripes --
The eternal Helen / Heidi Julavits, inspired by the music and lyrics from "I found a reason" by the Velvet Underground as performed by Cat Power --
Swampthroat / Arthur Bradford, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Highway to hell" by AC/DC --
Bouncing / Jennifer Belle, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Graceland" by Paul Simon --
Graffiti monk / Ernesto Quiñonez, inspired by the music and lyrics from "The message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five --
Smoking inside / Darin Strauss, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Remedy" by the Black Crowes --
The system / Judy Budnitz, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Way down in the hole" by Tom Waits --
Four last songs / David Ebershoff, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Four last songs" by Herman Hesse and composer Richard Strauss --
Dying on the vine / Elissa Shappell, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Dying on the vine" by John Cale --
Rio / Zev Borow, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Rio" by Duran Duran --
King Heroin / Nelson George, inspired by the music and lyrics from "King Heroin" by James Brown --
The bodies of boys / Julianna Baggott, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Spirit in the night" by Bruce Springsteen.