The Singles Bar: Sarah King revamps Led Zeppelin’s ‘Hey Hey What Can I Do’

Welcome to The Singles Bar, a review series focused on new single and song releases.

Covers are tough to tackle (and do well). Either of two things usually happens: the performance fails to reinvent the classic OR it’s a pale imitation. Fortunately, Sarah King‘s retooling of Led Zeppelin’s 1970 b-side “Hey Hey What Can I Do” is a glorious Americana firecracker. That’s largely owed to her guttural, torrential vocal performance, flying from her chest voice into her head with agility. And when she does soar into her upper register, it’s enough to knock you for a loop.

“She’s the only one that I been dreamin’ of / Maybe someday she will be all mine,” sings King, piano skittering in the background. Drums quake, bouncing along a dusty backroad, and her voice remains unwavering, resolute in a mission to relay her deep-stomach emotions. “I want to tell her that I love her so / I thrill with her every touch / I need to tell her she’s the only one I really love.”

“Hey Hey What Can I Do” is a thrilling showcase of King’s talents. We already knew she was a masterclass performer, and this just reaffirmed our stance. “When I was learning to play guitar, I heard ‘Hey Hey What Can I Do’ on the radio,” shares King in a press statement. “I grabbed my guitar to play along, and it was the first song I learned to play by ear, figuring out how chord progressions sound. Although the original recording wasn’t exactly standard tuning, I was able to hear the structure, and it opened my eyes to playing by ear.”

Keeping the original pronouns intact, King effectively opens up about her personal life. “I’ve always struggled with labels when it comes to sexuality – as a kid, I remember wanting to kiss my girl friends and stuff, but being told by my family that any gay couples we knew were ‘just good friends’ was kind of confusing,” she says. “I was pretty sheltered and literally didn’t know being anything other than heterosexual was an option. In time, I realized I am indeed attracted to men and women, but then I struggled with the term bisexual because it’s never been split 50/50 for me. I’m more into men, and I felt like I was somehow letting down the LGBTQ community by not being ‘bi enough’ so I just kept quiet and tried not to label myself.”

She continues, “I’m so thankful that, overall – I know we still have a lot of work to do – there’s a lot more acceptance and education about sexuality now, and I’m letting go of some of the self-shame I was feeling by worrying about labels. So, in short, I am married to a dude, I am monogamous, and I am also bisexual. All of these things can coexist, and it’s been really freeing to accept that. I hope the fun vibe on the song can help listeners feel that same freedom, no matter who they’re attracted to.”

The accompanying music video is set to drop later this month. Stay tuned.

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