Saturday Smackdown: Samson

YouTube is the internet version of the American Idol auditions where you see some very good singers and many more who.... well, let's just say their ambition is greater than their talent. But, because YouTube makes video sharing so easy, everybody gets their 3:30 of fame.
Regina Spektor's "Samson" (from Songs, later redone for Begin to Hope) has to be one of the most covered songs on YouTube, with dozens of different versions. It's easy to see why: the piano part isn't that hard (even I can play it) and the vocal melody is in the ballpark for most voices. The YouTubers perform on piano, guitar, and even a capella. Some of the vocals are quite good, and some not so much, but they win points for even trying (because I don't think I'd have the nerve to do it myself). What surprised me was how many males took on the song. Here are some of the better versions.

Here's the original by Regina Spektor:


This version by maia4246 ids pretty good.


Here's another version by PussySugar, who may or may not be a Bond Girl:


Here's one of several versions by males. This is Thornton on guitar:


Blacklilly1704 performed the song in an adult vocal competition. She doesn't say whether she won, but it's a nice rendition.


PianoBea does a pretty good job with this version:


Another male version, this time by Matthew Luke Sandoval:


Elenaaaxx has a nice voice in this version:


This is a surprisingly good version by a guy named Prince Estaris:


Another good acoustic version by a guy named Jest who says it's "slightly weird a guy singing about a guy. Girls do covers that end up about girls singing abotu girls all the time though."


Finally, a female acoustic version by ockstarray: