Cool cover song of the week...

Dear Prudence isn't necessarily one of The Beatles' most well-known songs, but it's a favorite of mine. The John Lennon-penned song was written in 1968 and appeared on The White Album. It was inspired by Prudence Farrow, the sister of actress Mia Farrow, who was was present when the Beatles went to India to study with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. (Apparently Farrow was so serious about her meditation, she barely acknowledged the world around her, so Lennon wrote the song to remind her that she needed to remember to live her life outside of meditation as well.) It's a sweet, upbeat song, with terrific lyrics, especially, "The sun is up, the sky is blue, it's beautiful, and so are you."

The English band Siouxsie and the Banshees covered Dear Prudence in 1983, and it became their biggest hit, reaching number 3 on the UK Singles Chart. The song has been covered by a number of diverse artists, including Jerry Garcia (who called it one of his all-time personal favorites), one of my current favorite bands, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, and also was performed in the Beatles-themed movie, Across the Universe.

Here's the Siouxsie and the Banshees version:


Here's a Jerry Garcia rendition for my Deadhead friends out there:


And here's the Grace Potter version:


Don't forget, especially today: The sun is up, the sky is blue, it's beautiful, and so are you.

Check out my previous Cool Cover Songs of the Week:

Borderline by The Counting Crows

How Deep Is Your Love by The Bird and The Bee

Life in a Northern Town by Sugarland, Little Big Town, and Jake Owen

I Don't Want to Talk About It by The Indigo Girls

Only You by Joshua Radin

Pure Imagination by Maroon 5

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by Blake Stratton

What a Fool Believes by Neri Per Caso

Poker Face by Daughtry

Back to Black by Ronnie Spector

I Will Survive by Cake

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by The Stereophonics

Rolling in the Deep by John Legend

Go Your Own Way by Lissie

Winner Takes it All by McFly

What a Wonderful World by Joey Ramone

Careless Whisper by Seether

I Walk the Line by Live