The Interesting Story Behind This Rock Cover of ‘The Golden Girls’ Theme
We're not sure Betty White ever got a cover of the Golden Girls theme that she truly deserved. Most covers of "Thank You for Being a Friend" come with a card attached that says: "I suck."
Since Betty White died, we've seen a couple thrown-together attempts by John Mayer and ex-Red Hot Chili Pepper Josh Klinghoffer that are heartfelt enough, but probably don't warrant a second listen. Strangely enough, there are very few rock or metal covers (save the SNL bit) that people have attempted or posted to YouTube, even for a gag. (Re-doing the musical identity of four legendary retirees in Florida was apparently too daunting a task for most.)
"Your Body Is A Wonderland" Guy Covers "Thank You for Being a Friend"
But not all! A rock/heavy metal band outta Jacksonville, Fla. called Appalachian Death Trap covered it in 2019, well before Betty White died. It's not half bad, retaining the sweetness of the original but bringing in some much needed crunch. You can hear it below, but it's also an interesting story how they were unintentionally elbowed into recording it.
The story goes (courtesy of Metal Injection): Appalachian Death Trap was booked to play a gig in St. Augustine. The promoters did the lazy thing and copied and pasted their bio from ADT's Facebook page to promote the show, which, at the time, read something like this:
“Appalachian Death Trap is a band from Jacksonville. They have two albums that are available for download on their bandcamp website, their music is primarily rock and heavy metal. Although all members are male, their songs tell the stories of four older women who have been divorced or widowed and are now roommates."
That last part, if it wasn't obvious, is the premise behind The Golden Girls sitcom. The band included it as a joke, of course. But since they were being promoted as a GG-style act, they decided to "lean into it," and created the gem below.
Appalachian Death Trap, "Thank You for Being a Friend"
We're sure Betty would have approved, although we're waiting for Metallica's version.