Five Good Covers presents five cross-genre reinterpretations of an oft-covered song.
On February 19, 2026, figure skater Alysa Liu became the first American to win Olympic gold in the women’s competition since 2002. She did it in a style that caused shockwaves through the sport, as Liu, now 20, had previously retired at age 16. With her return, she vowed that she would skate for herself, in her own style, and simply enjoy the moment. Her spirit radiated from the ice, and her jumps were spot on. She emerged from the games not only a medal winner, but a global superstar.
But what really caught our attention was Liu’s choice of music for her long program. She skated to Donna Summer’s disco cover of “MacArthur Park.” With its infectious groove, the song perfectly reflected her approach to the sport, especially as Summer sings “There will be another song for me.” It was an ideal pairing for one of the greatest second acts in the history of the sport.
“MacArthur Park” was written by Jimmy Webb, the tunesmith known for such classics as “Wichita Lineman,” “Worst that Could Happen” and “By the Time I Get to Phoenix.”
It was first recorded by Irish actor Richard Harris. Coming off the success of the 1967 musical film Camelot, Harris teamed up with Webb, who penned all of the tracks and produced Harris’ debut 1968 record A Tramp Shining. “MacArthur Park” – all seven minutes and twenty seconds of it – was the lead single. Despite its length and unusual structure, the song became a massive global hit for Harris upon its release.
The track itself is more of a suite than a traditional pop tune, with three distinct sections. It tells the story of a young couple falling in love and splitting, interlaced with visual descriptions of the titular Los Angeles park, from “birds like tender babies” to “old men playing checkers.”
But it is most famous, and perhaps infamous, for its chorus… Continue reading »
A few years ago, when I was staying at the von Trapp family’s hotel in Northern Vermont, I attended a presentation about their family history. In the talk, they discussed the differences between The Sound of Music and their actual story.
