Artists of all levels cover the Beatles’ music in nearly every genre, but my favorites are the ones that truly bring something of value to the song. As a lifelong fan, I’ve heard thousands upon thousands of good, mediocre, and terrible versions of the Fab Four’s output. The following is part three of my list of the ones that really stand out as being well-done, unique, or in some way interesting and worth hearing.

Note: This is a 12-part series, broken out roughly by studio album (UK release) with songs released only as singles included in the general timeframe of a close album release. (Don’t get excited, purists, about which singles should belong where; this is just a convenience.)

My Rules: Songs must have been written and recorded by the Beatles and released as singles or on an album during their career. No covers of other artists or solo Beatles material are included. No members of the Beatles can be in the performance. No Tribute bands.

Songs from Rubber Soul (1965)

This is the sixth article of the series. The series starts here: Part 1: Songs from Please Please Me (1963).

Recorded in October and November of 1965, Rubber Soul was described by George Martin as “the first album to present a new, growing Beatles to the world.” This was a landmark record. Let’s see what covers stand out.

Drive My Car

“Drive My Car” started as a silly ditty. Paul came up with a melody, but with some lyrics he wasn’t satisfied with: “…something to do with golden rings… ‘Rings’ is fatal anyway, ‘rings always rhymes with ‘things.'” After a few unfruitful attempts, John and Paul came up with “drive my car” and the song took off. Paul said it reminded him of LA chicks who were aspiring actresses. Of course, “drive my car” is an old blues euphemism for getting it on.

Unfortunately, this song has seen numerous terrible and irritatingly annoying cover versions, but a couple of gems stand out. Humble Pie did a wonderful, slower, poignant version on their 1975 album Street Rats. But the real stand-out for me is this 7-minute psychedelic version by a lesser-known Dutch progressive rock outfit, Pugh’s Place.

Norwegian Wood

“Norwegian Wood” is a quirky waltz that sounds a bit like an Irish folk song. The phrase “Norwegian wood” is a polite way of saying “cheap pine.” Paul was living with Jane Asher’s family at the time, and Peter Asher had his room redone in it, which inspired the image. The song is a parody. The girl in the song makes the man sleep in the bath so he gets revenge. “I burned the fucking place down,” Paul says about it.

Easily in my top ten Beatles songs, “Norwegian Wood” has a beautiful melody and is one of the first Western rock songs to feature the Indian sitar (played by George Harrison). Since this is such a beloved song, it is hard for any act to do it justice, but Cornershop (dubbed “One of Britain’s most charmingly idiosyncratic bands” by combining Indian music, indie rock, and electronic dance music) renders a gorgeous version with lyrics sung in Punjabi and sincere sitar work. The group’s genuine love for the song and the authenticity of the Indian elements make this one of my favorite covers of all time.

You Won’t See Me

Paul McCartney was very influenced by Motown. He cites the bass lines of James Jamerson as a contributing inspiration for “You Won’t See Me”: “It was him, me, and Brian Wilson who were doing melodic bass lines at that time, all from completely different angles, LA, Detroit, and London, all picking up on what each other did.”

I remember a couple of female-sung versions of this song on the radio as a kid, Anne Murray comes to mind, as well as a French version by Anne Renée. But, if you want something a little more brooding, a little more plaintive, Bryan Ferry bleats it out on his version released on his solo album These Foolish Things in October 1973.

Nowhere Man

John Lennon couched the lyrics to “Nowhere Man” in third person, but ended with “Isn’t he a bit like you and me?” “‘Me’ being the final word. That was one of John’s better ones,” said Paul McCartnery. Writing about himself in a naked reveal of his own lack of self-confidence was a very bold move for a rock star of the time. It seems Dylan-esque now.

Tiny Tim was one of the most unconventional pop stars of the late 1960s. He became so famous that his wedding was televised and watched by 40 million people. Tiny Tim mingled with many major celebrities of the era, including The Beatles, who invited him to appear on their 1968 fan club Christmas record. With encouragement from George Harrison, Tim delivered this delicate, ethereal, and weird, rendition of “Nowhere Man.”

Think For Yourself

George Harrison contributed this song, which can be interpreted as both a love song and a political commentary. It was also the first time a bass guitar was ever recorded through a fuzzbox for a recording, thanks to Paul’s experimentation.

Seattle band Flowmotion (also known as True Spokes) performed a live show at the Tractor Tavern, covering the entire album Rubber Soul. Here’s their take on “Think For Yourself” with two bass guitars and a false start just like on the record.

The Word

In 1965, “The Word” (which is “love,” by the way) was one of the first hippie anthems. After they wrote it, John and Paul “smoked a bit of pot” then wrote out the lyrics in crayons on a sheet of paper. Paul ended up giving the original lyric sheet to Yoko Ono who was collecting original manuscripts as a 50th birthday present for John Cage.

While not on a studio album, 13th Floor Elevators (arguably the first psychedelic garage band) did cover the song, cementing its status as a hippie anthem, thankfully preserved in this 1992 release recorded live during their famed residency in the San Francisco music scene in 1966 at the Avalon Ballroom.

Michelle

Originally inspired by Chet Atkin’s finger-pickin’ “Trambone” style, the Beatles thought using this style in rock was new and cool at the time. Colin Manley of Remo Four (Liverpool band) “used to play it very well and we all used to stop and admire him,” says Paul McCartney. John Learned this technique and also used it on “Julia”. As to the lyrics, a good long-time friend’s wife taught French. Paul: “We just started talking, and I said, ‘Well, those words go together well, What’s French for that?'”

Enter Iggy fucking Pop. Iggy sings “Michelle”. It’s Iggy’s deep warbling voice against that beautiful guitar work. What else do I need to say?

What Goes On

At the time, the guys aimed for Ringo Starr to sing one song per album. To that end, John Lennon dug “What Goes On” out of the trunk to fix up. Ringo said he contributed “about five words.”

I admit, my deep hillbilly roots are showing. I absolutely love this progressive bluegrass group’s 1987 version. See https://www.seldomscene.com/ for more information.

Girl

“It was always amusing to see if we could get a naughty word on the record, ‘fish and finger pie’, ‘prick teaser’, ‘tit tit tit tit,'” said Paul McCartnery. As one of their encoded naughty jokes, the boys decided to sing some of the “dit dit dit” as “tit tit tit” and see if anyone noticed. “It gave us a laugh. It was to get some light relief in the middle of this big career that we were forging. If we could put in something that was a little bit subversive then we would. George Martin might say, ‘was that “dit dit” or “tit tit” you were singing?’ ‘Oh, “dit dit”, George but it does sound a bit like that, doesn’t it?’ Then we’d get in the car and break down laughing.”

The song has been covered less than most Lennon-McCartney originals, but I did find this cool version by Immigrant Suns on More Than Food (1998). This is long, slow, and warms the cockles of my gypsy heart with its traditional instrumentation, ultimately culminating in an accelerative build to a frenzied dance.

I’m Looking Through You

“I’m Looking Through You” was written by Paul McCartney after an argument with his then girlfriend, Jane Asher. “I was seeing through her façade. And realizing that it wasn’t quite all that it seemed. I would write it out in a song and then I’ve got rid of the emotion. I don’t hold grudges so that gets rid of that little bit of emotional baggage.”

One of the commenters on this YouTube video sums it up: “I thought I look up Beatles covers and found this. Best idea I’ve had all day.” Steve Earle for the win.

In My Life

It’s interesting that “In My Life” is one of the only two songs that John Lennon and Paul McCartney disagree on about the writing of the melody, each taking credit in various interviews. It may be that John was so proud of the song and melody that he remembers it differently. Critical analysis and musicologists tend to favor Paul’s claim. “As many of our songs were,” he said, “it was the first pangs of nostalgia for Liverpool; not that we longed to return there, but, like everyone, you look at your youth, as Maharishi used to say, through a golden glass, and it looks much better than it was.”

Keith Moon(the loon) breaks your heart with this one. Imagine if Sid Vicious could actually sing Sinatra and still be cool. Yeah, well, this is like that and better.

Wait

The song “Wait” was written while the Beatles were in the Bahamas during the filming of Help! While on a break from filming, they would stay at a little rented house by the ocean. Paul remembers the actor, Brandon de Wilde hanging out with them and be fascinated by the writing process. De Wilde, a former child star best known for Shane, had grown up in the industry and was by then drifting through Hollywood’s fringes, notably hanging around the Peter Fonda/Dennis Hopper circle. He later died in a car crash near Denver in July 1972, an event which inspired the song “In My Hour of Darkness”(co-written by Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris). Its first verse: “Who’d have thought they’d build such a deadly Denver bend” is understood as alluding to the curve where de Wilde’s fatal crash occurred.

By contrast, Frankie Vaughan represented respectable success. He was working-class, openly Jewish, and proudly Liverpudlian, yet he fit comfortably into mainstream television, variety shows, and radio. He also became known for philanthropy, particularly his work with young people and disadvantaged communities, which further cemented his reputation as a moral, upright public figure. By the time the Beatles exploded in 1963, Vaughan was already an established star, but the ground beneath him was shifting fast. Rock and pop were becoming louder, younger, and more self-expressive. Rather than resist the change, Vaughan adapted. He recorded covers of contemporary material, including Lennon–McCartney songs like “Wait,” translating them into the language of traditional pop. In doing so, he acted as a kind of cultural interpreter, making new music intelligible and acceptable to older audiences who might otherwise have found the Beatles baffling or abrasive. His delivery of “Wait” is reminiscent of Tom Jones on Prince’s “Kiss”.

If I Needed Someone

“If I Needed Someone”, contributed by burgeoning writer George Harrison, is not a song that tries to win you over. It waits for you to notice it. And once you do, it reveals a writer who is no longer content to stand in the background, but also has no interest in pushing his way to the front. Musically, the song is built around a jangling, circular guitar riff, heavily influenced by the Byrds, particularly Roger McGuinn’s 12-string Rickenbacker sound. Harrison was open about this influence, and unlike earlier borrowing accusations aimed at Lennon and McCartney, this one feels more like homage than mimicry. The riff loops hypnotically, creating a sense of suspended motion, as though the song is hovering rather than advancing.

There aren’t many interesting covers of “If I Needed Someone”. Type O Negative did a heavy medley on World Coming Down (1999) which includes it, and I have some other selections for the other two songs, so I’m sticking this one here. I like this medley. It’s heavy and campy. It’s Type O Negative. You know what you’re getting. They’re so heavy.

1965 Singles

Day Tripper

In his 1980 interview for Playboy (published posthumously in April 1981), when asked about “Day Tripper,” John Lennon said: “Mine. Clearly. The lick, the guitar break, and the whole bit. It’s just a rock-and-roll song. Day trippers are people who go on day trips, right? It was kind of, you are just a weekend hippie, get it?”

I’ve already talked about Type O Negative, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Bad Brains here. We know they covered this and usually went into the Stones’ “She’s a Rainbow” in their live performances. Excellent and very cool, and I also like the versions the H.R. did with Sublime backing him live. I also really dig Otis Redding’s live versions. But the whole point of this series is to find stuff that blows your mind. if you want to hear something totally out there, this is the one I chose. Japanese electronic-New Wave band Yellow Magic Orchestra’s 1978 version is fucking rad.

We Can Work It Out

There was a lot of buzz about which song would be the A or B side, so “We Can Work It Out” and “Day Tripper” ended up being released together as a double A-side single in December 1965 in the UK. For the first time, the Beatles shot promo clips for both tracks. These clips, known as the “Intertel Promos,” were basically a way to save the band from having to show up in person on those popular British TV shows.

The song has been covered numerous times, most famously by Stevie Wonder who also performed the song live for several prestigious events honoring Paul McCartney including his Grammy Lifetime Achievement (1990) and the Gershwin Prize from the US Library of Congress (2010). But, I’m gonna let the Midnight Special shine it’s ever-loving light on me cause ain’t no body can work it out like Chaka Khan. Let the funk flow, Rufus. This should be an anthem for our time. Lord knows, we could use it.

Next time: Part 7 – Songs from Revolver (1966)