Cool cover song of the week...

The Beatles seem to have a song for every occasion, every mood, every inspiration. I've been a huge fan of theirs for as long as I can remember. I even played Revolution Number 9 backwards at top volume to see if I could hear the purported "Paul is dead" lyric, years after that theory was proven to be a hoax.

Picking my favorite Beatles song is kind of like asking a parent to pick their favorite child. (Well, maybe that might be easier for some parents.) It really depends on my mood. But given my bouts of occasional Pollyanna-ism, I'd have to say that one of my all time favorites is All You Need is Love. I mean, with that as a title, and a lyric, how could you go wrong?

All You Need is Love was first performed by the Beatles in June 1967 on Our World, the first live global television link. It was released as a single in the U.S. in July 1967, and it hit #1 on the Billboard charts for one week. But it continues to endure, and an endless number of cover versions of the song have been recorded over the years.

A good friend of mine (who requested I refer to him as "a handsome and witty fellow") recently shared The Flaming Lips' version of the song, which was released last month. It's a little bit trippy but it's a pretty cool and different version of the song that still remains true to its overall feel.



For a bonus, here's a version by Lynden David Hall, which appeared in the movie Love Actually. (I couldn't embed the actual scene from the movie, but you can see that at http://youtu.be/285orPTC-Io).


And of course, I couldn't resist sharing the original:


All you need is love. And love is all you need. (Love and oxygen, as a friend pointed out this morning on Facebook.)

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

Dear Prudence by Siouxsie and The Banshees

Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm

Who Wants to Live Forever by Breaking Benjamin

Redemption Song by Chris Cornell and Audioslave

Love Me Tender by Chris Isaak and Brandi Carlile