According to rock music historian, Ian McFarlane, it is one of the most covered songs written by an Australian with 27 different artists recording it in 1975 alone. Covers include fellow Australians, Col Joye and Digby Richards, and international artists, Mac Davis, Terry Jacks, Gary Glitter, Joe Dassin (in French), The Cats and Tom Jones. Some cover artists, including Davis, leave out the lyric "... I'd never be a star" for a happier ending. Johnson believes "There were a few people who wouldn't sing line because in their minds they were big stars". Others, like Glitter, leave out the upbeat ending in the Johnson version for a more sombre ending. Jacks' version went to No. 97 in the US in 1974 – it reached No. 22 in Canada – and Davis' rendition became the highest US charting version, reaching No. 15 in 1975.