David Byrne and Yo La Tengo Teams Up For Yoko Ono Cover

David Byrne and Yo La Tengo have collaborated and released a cover of Yoko Ono’s “Who Has Seen the Wind?” It will be a part of the upcoming tribute album to the artist titled Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono.

The album releases on February 18 in celebration of Ono’s 89th birthday. Death Cab for Cutie bandleader Ben Gibbard was the mind behind the project, he curated the 14-song compilation which also features other artists such as The Flaming Lips, Sharon Van Etten, U.S. Girls, Japanese Breakfast and many more.

Byrne and Yo La Tengo’s rendition of “Who Has Seen the Wind?” is slower and more atmospheric. Some parts of the song, Ono got on a poem by 19th-century poet Christina Rossetti. It appeared as a bonus track on Ono and Lennon’s experimental Wedding Album.

Gibbard said Ocean Child:

“[It] was born out of both love and frustration. The “love” part is pretty obvious; it is the seemingly bottomless well of inspiration and enjoyment Yoko Ono’s music has provided me and I must assume everyone else present here on this compilation. The “frustration” part, on the other hand, goes back decades. As an advocate, the tallest hurdle to clear has always been the public’s ignorance as to the breadth of Yoko’s work. To put it into context; this is an artist whose output has run the gamut from avant-garde to bubblegum pop, often across a single album. For years, it has been my position that her songwriting has been criminally overlooked. She has consistently created melodies as memorable as those of best pop writers. As a lyricist, she has always written with poignance, sophistication and deep introspection. Some of her best songs have been covered and compiled here by a generation-spanning group of musicians for whom her work has meant so much. It is my sincere hope that a new crop of Yoko Ono fans fall in love with her songwriting due in some small part to this album we have put together.”

Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono is available for preorder now. See the list of the artist featured below.

‘Ocean Child, Songs of Yoko Ono’ Track Listing
1. “Toyboat” – Sharon Van Etten
2. “Who Has Seen the Wind?” – David Byrne and Yo La Tengo
3. “Dogtown” – Sudan Archives
4. “Waiting for the Sunrise” – Death Cab for Cutie
5. “Yellow Girl (Stand for Life)” – Thao
6. “Born in a Prison” – U.S. Girls
7. “Growing Pain” – Jay Som
8. “Listen, The Snow Is Falling” – Stephin Merritt (of Magnetic Fields)
9. “No No No” – Deerhoof
10. “Don’t Be Scared” – We Are King
11. “Mrs. Lennon” – The Flaming Lips
12. “No One Sees Me Like You Do” – Japanese Breakfast
13. “There Is No Goodbye Between Us” – Yo La Tengo
14. “Run Run Run” – Amber Coffman