As songs to cover go, Sunscreem’s “Love U More” is among the less likely candidates. Not because of the melody (brilliantly catchy) or sentiment (declaring one’s total devotion to another), but troubling lyrical couplets like, “You can make me dance to order / My sex hung, torn and quartered” and “You can turn wine into water / As fathers rape their daughters.” Such words present something of a sticky wicket should an artist choose to re-do “Love U More” anew.

But why let a pair of possibly offensive lyrics stand in the way when you can paint over them with a happier gloss? That’s what UK pop newcomer Sunday Girl (aka Jade Williams) has done in her new cover of the Essex, England indie techno-ravers’ 1993 #1 dance hit. (That description of Sunscreem is taken directly from the insert to the “Love U More” CD single, it’s worth noting.)

In Sunday Girl’s world, “sex” becomes “love,” and the fathers-daughters’ line is replaced by repeating “Turn sadness into laughter,” from the song’s first verse. The latter switch follows a path forged by fellow Brits Steps, who included “Love U More” on their 1998 debut. I take no issue with these lyrical changes, as I always loved Sunscreem’s “Love U More” but couldn’t completely overlook that rape/incest lyric, thinking it a very (very, very, very, very) odd man out. (Turning the sea “to turtle” doesn’t make much sense either, but at least the sentiment isn’t shocking.)

Of course, such rewrites mean little if the resulting cover isn’t up to par. And on that note, Sunday Girl has done a tremendous job with “Love U More.” I love the lite trance spin she’s given the song, freshening the sound for today’s pop tastes while honoring the dance roots of the original. Hear here:

Sunday Girl’s cover of “Love U More” is out in the UK on December 5. That’s obviously a very long time from today, and who knows if we’ll ever see a U.S. release. So how about a free download of a remix by RAC to love in the meantime, available this very minute to everyone, everywhere:

Free download of Sunday Girl – “Love U More” (RAC Mix) via the SoundCloud player above.