A Truly Fearless Cover | “Love Story” by Black Midi

Mike Merucci, Editorial Assistant

Black Midi covering Taylor Swift? Didn’t see that one coming. 

On March 22, the English rock outfit released Cavalcovers, a lovely gift of an EP including covers of King Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man,” Captain Beefheart’s “Moonlight on Vermont” and Taylor Swift’s 2008 smash-hit “Love Story.”

Before all else, I must say the saxophone work on “Love Story” is nothing short of incredible. One might say it’s leaning-back-and-releasing-a-loud-breath-of-appreciation good. In fact, that can apply to the entire last half of the song. Maybe the whole song, I don’t know. I’m fine with throwing praise all over the place on this one. But when “Marry me Juliet, you’ll never have to be alone” is delivered shortly after the three-minute mark, everything falls into place and one might find me floating like this a few meters in the air. 

I never knew I needed a Black Midi cover of a Taylor Swift song so badly, but now I have the selfish desire for even more. A direct collaboration between the two — that’s the dream right there. Who knows? Maybe it’s possible. By the grace of the music gods, may it happen. May Swifties and Black Midi fans unite to bring about another drop of sonic heaven. 

It’s hard to deny that hearing Taylor Swift vocals on an instrumental similar to that of Black Midi’s “John L” would be nothing short of life-changing. Perhaps hearing Geordie Greep go ballistic on a track like Swift’s “Cruel Summer” would be just as nice. I plead once again: May the music gods grant us something like this.