Patti Smith Covers Rihanna’s “Stay”: Watch

Carl Williott | January 22, 2014 5:54 am

Punk poet Patti Smith performed in New York City on December 30, and for her 67th birthday that night she treated fans to a host of covers, including renditions of songs by Lou Reed, John Lennon… and Rihanna! Smith joined the growing list of musicians showing their appreciation for RiRi’s lovely “Stay,” reportedly calling it “the 2013 song of the year” before breaking out a cover — but somehow the video of her rendition sat largely unnoticed on YouTube until now.

The pig-tailed rock icon stood stoically as she crooned the ballad at Webster Hall, her vocals as evocative as ever. Near the end, Smith forgets some of the lyrics, saying, “Wait, wait. I’m sorry, I’m just nervous. I was doing so good,” before picking up where she left off. Turns out even the legends still get butterflies.

Check it out below, then compare it to Vin Diesel‘s rendition from last Valentine’s Day.

[via NME]

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