I love cover songs. Even kinda like the sort of lame ones like Gwen Stefani & Co’s alright-but-unnecessary rendition of Talk Talk’s totally awesome “It’s My Life” — if only just to discover the different ways artists mutually appreciate the same composition (our Jazz and Classical contributors on here can commence their haughty scoffing whenever it’s convenient.)

And so, the inaugural Tass Cover Song du Jour comes (perhaps a bit obviously) from none other than synth-dance-pop masters Pet Shop Boys. Released as a single in advance of 1987’s excellent Actually the track wasn’t even on the album (the liner notes contained the phrase, “not from the album, actually.”) While originally recorded by Brenda Lee and then more famously Elvis, it was the brilliant 1982 Willie Nelson take I was more familiar with in my youth up until hearing PSB’s ecstatically melancholy rendition. Never was quite sure what the f with the narrative but do know that 20 years later, this track still delivers the same sugary high every spin. And of course, there’s always that 2 second shot of a ventriloquist’s dummy…