Hear Paul Weller’s Haunting Cover of Billie Eilish’s ‘What Was I Made For?’
Paul Weller covered Billie Eilish’s award-winning single “What Was I Made For?” during a live Sofa Session on BBC Radio 2. The musician showcased a stripped-down version of the song, written for the Barbie movie last year.
Weller told host Jo Whiley that he decided to cover the song after hearing it through his youngest daughter, Nova. “She’s a big fan of this next artist,” he explained. After the performance, Weller added that Eilish is “incredibly talented,” saying, “It’s such a beautiful song, and the melody’s incredible. And the words – I think it’s just a great tune.”
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Weller also praised Eilish in a recent cover interview for Mojo. “I’ve got to say, man, Billie Eilish is fucking great,” he said. “‘What Was I Made For?’ is an incredible tune.”
Eilish released “What Was I Made For?” last summer. The song went on to win a Grammy for Song of the Year and the Oscar for Best Original Song, making the singer the youngest person to ever win two Oscars. “I’m grateful for this song and this movie and the way it made me feel,” Eilish said during her acceptance speech.
The singer previously recounted how she had been through some tough times before writing the song for Greta Gerwig’s film.
“I would really like to say that this award and any recognition that this song gets, I just want to dedicate to anyone who experiences hopelessness, the feeling of existential dread and feeling like, ‘What’s the point? Why am I here? And why am I doing this?’” Eilish said during her acceptance speech for the Chairman’s Award during the annual Palm Springs Film Awards. “I think we all feel like that occasionally, but I think if somebody like me, with the amount of privilege that I have and the incredible things that I get to do and be and how I have really not wanted to be here… sorry to be dark, damn, but I’ve spent a lot of time feeling that way.”
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