5 Beatles Songs That Were Actually Covers
Many of The Beatles‘ songs were original Lennon-McCartney compositions. Despite this, the band still performed many covers. Notably, one of the Fab Four’s covers has the distinction of being one of the shortest tunes ever recorded by the band.
5. ‘Maggie Mae’
The title track of Let It Be remains one of the most famous and beloved songs in The Beatles’ catalog. It’s emotive, simple, and powerful. And it’s immediately followed by a cutesy cover of the traditional folk song “Maggie Mae.”
The recording lasts a total of 40 seconds, making it feel like an unnecessary joke. It puts an end to the song “Let It Be” in the same annoying, irreverent fashion that “Her Majesty” put an end to Abbey Road. “Maggie Mae” and “Her Majesty” are not the group’s best work, but they encapsulate their humor.
4. ‘Boys’
The Beatles often had to battle girl groups for chart supremacy. Early in their career, the band covered a few girl group songs, including The Shirelles’ “Boys.” During a 2005 interview with Rolling Stone, Paul said the lyrics of the track could have been interpreted as gay since Ringo Starr sang them.
“But we never even listened,” Paul noted. “It’s just a great song. I think that’s one of the great things about youth — you just don’t even think about that s***. I love the innocence of those days.” He said crowds loved when Ringo sang “Boys.”
3. ‘Rock and Roll Music’
According to the 1997 book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now, Chuck Berry inspired The Beatles. For example, Paul said he stole the bassline of “I Saw Her Standing There” from Berry’s “I’m Talking About You.” It was nice for the Fab Four to return the favor with this cover of “Rock and Roll Music.”
The cover would provide the name for Rock ‘n’ Roll Music, a 1976 Beatles compilation featuring some of the band’s songs that were more indebted to 1950s rock. The success of that compilation turned “Back in the U.S.S.R.” and “Got to Get You into My Life” into hits years after the band broke up.
2. ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’
Barrett Strong went down in the musical history books for singing this song. The Beatles brought the track even more attention when they recorded it for With the Beatles. The Rolling Stones performed the song as well, making it one of the few songs recorded by both British Invasion bands. However, the most famous cover of the track might just be The Flying Lizards’ new wave version, which is so bizarre it’s basically unrecognizable.
1. ‘Twist and Shout’
“Twist and Shout” was originally a track by The Isley Brothers. The Beatles’ “Twist and Shout” is possibly their most beloved cover, as it hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the chart for 26 weeks.
According to The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits, the Fab Four’s version was kept from the top of the chart by their original composition “Can’t Buy Me Love.” The band managed to take over the whole top 5 with “Can’t Buy Me Love, “Twist and Shout,” “She Loves You,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” and “Please Please Me.”
