Probably wise not to serve as a music critic for street singers, actually.
There is this tradition of changing some line or other of an old song to new effect. Once upon a time, a cover of a Don Henley song was on radio play-lists, and it misfired slightly. Alanis Morisette now sings, in concert, an altered version of her song “Ironic” to cover same sex marriage — which is still no closer to being Irony.
Some days ago — Saturday or Sunday, two people were singing on a street corner. the song “Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. Nothing terribly noteworthy. But they changed the lyrics. “Four Dead in Af-Ghan-Istan.” It wasn’t a terribly good refit, syllable wise — “Istan” doesn’t match “O”. It also suffers that “Boys of Summer cover” problem — the song’s meaning in contemporary times does not match, and we still have the out of place reference to President Nixon. Evidentally, the duo was proud of themselves, though, doing “Four Dead in Af-ghan-istan” four times whence the old song played it twice.