More than 50 years after its release, Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" lives on as one of the most respected songs in American music history. Earning the No. 66 spot on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, it's also one of the most covered — recorded by industry greats like Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin.
"When you're weary/ Feeling small/ When tears in your eyes/ I will dry them all/ I'm on your side," goes the iconic opening verse. "Like a bridge over troubled water/ I will lay me down."
In this episode of ReImagined, soul newcomer Acantha Lang delivers a cover of Franklin's arrangement of "Bridge Over Troubled Water," which won a GRAMMY for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1972. Lang further strips down the performance with only her voice and an electric guitar.
On June 30, Lang released her debut studio album, Beautiful Dreams, via Magnolia Blue Records, led by her breakthrough single, "He Said / She Said." In an Instagram post, Lang revealed that the LP "is filled with personal stories, my life experiences, my truth."
Lang is touring through Europe, with two more stops in Paris, France, and Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom.
Press play on the video above to hear Acantha Lang's rendition of "Bridge Over Troubled Water," and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of ReImagined.
How Gladys Knight & The Pips' "Midnight Train To Georgia" Cemented Their Legacy In Soul