Casey Abrams teamed up with the legendary pop singer Cyndi Lauper to record a reimagined version of the 1960’s protest song, “Eve of Destruction,” which Barry McGuire recorded in 1965.
To fit the tumultuous times we live in, the American Idol season 10 alum decided to rework the lyrics. He’d first heard the song when his mother, a former screenwriter, played it. With her help, Casey made the song his own.
“I was talking with my record label,” Casey told American Songwriter magazine, “and I was saying, ‘This is happening. The eve of destruction is kind of actually happening in 2020.’ So, I thought, ‘Why not just sing this song and change a few of the lyrics to something a little more modern day?’”
Cyndi joined the project at the behest of her friend, Charlie Feldman, who has a long career in music publishing. “Charlie is a great friend,” Cyndi told the magazine. “He sent the track to me and I thought, ‘Hey, if it makes folks talk, let’s do it!’ We need to be talking about important things right now.”
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“It’s a very important time for our country,” Cyndi said. “Now is not the time to retreat or put your head in the sand.”
“It was really nice of her to put her vibe on the song,” Casey said of the collaboration. Mostly, Cyndi adds backup vocals, but her unforgettable voice adds a powerful element to the rendition.
“She’s very politically driven,” Casey said. “I think I needed that. She’s also got that raspy voice that I’ve always wanted to sing with. We’re both raspifying singers.”
Check out Casey Abrams and Cyndi Lauper’s cover of “Eve of Destruction.”
