Remembering Bob Dylan’s cover of The Beatles song ‘Things We Said Today’
Bob Dylan is no stranger to the art of cover songs. Frequently cited as one of the most covered artists of all time, his unique talent for songwriting led to his songs being adopted by civil rights movements and other musicians alike. From Jimi Hendrix to Nina Simone to Joan Baez, the number of artists to pay tribute to Dylan is unmatched. Even George Harrison covered ‘If Not For You’ on his first post-Beatles solo release, All Things Must Pass.
But Dylan is well-acquainted with covering songs himself – his 2015 album Shadows in the Night takes on the works of Frank Sinatra. Although, Dylan retains that they’re not covers, telling Rolling Stone, “I don’t see myself as covering these songs in any way. They’ve been covered enough. Buried, as a matter of fact. What me and my band are basically doing is uncovering them. Lifting them out of the grave and bringing them into the light of day.”
Just a year before, in 2014, Dylan was to “uncover” a Beatles B-side when he covered ‘Things We Said Today.’ The 1964 song featured on the other side of ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ as well as on their third studio album of the same name. The track was featured on the soundtrack for the film A Hard Day’s Night.
It’s slightly more downtempo than the single, with lyrics full of yearning placed above whimsical minor chords. Written by Paul McCartney while seasick in the Virgin Islands, the track is a love song to McCartney’s girlfriend at the time, Jane Asher. Though he longs for her to be nearer to him, McCartney’s lyrics are optimistic, grateful for their love and optimistic that their “love is here to stay” despite the distance.
McCartney stated, “I started with an A minor chord. A minor to E minor to A minor, which gave me a sort of folksy, whimsical world. And then in the middle, on ‘Me, I’m just the lucky kind’, it goes to the major and gets hopeful.”
In 2014, Dylan released a cover of the track on the tribute album The Art of McCartney alongside covers from Brian Wilson, Kiss, The Cure and more. With rough vocals and folky instrumentals, Dylan really makes the track his own.
In an interview with Rolling Stone in 2007, Dylan enthused, “I’m in awe of McCartney.” He continues, “He can do it all, and he’s never let up. He’s got the gift for melody, he’s got the rhythm, he can play any instrument. He can scream and shout as good as anybody, and he can sing a ballad as good as anybody. And his melodies are effortless, that’s what you have to be in awe of… He’s just so damn effortless.”
Listen to Bob Dylan’s cover of ‘Things We Said Today’ below.
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