Why The Beatles’ ‘My Bonnie’ Is Their Best Cover
The Beatles covered songs in numerous genres. However, The Beatles’ “My Bonnie” stands above the rest of their covers. Here’s a look at why.
The Beatles’ ‘My Bonnie’ makes a boring old song sound vivacious and fun
The Beatles covered songs by many great artists, including Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Phil Spector. Sometimes they out their own distinctive stamp on their overs, and other times they faithfully recreated a great song. Regardless, most Beatles covers are tributes to musical geniuses.
On the other hand, “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” is an old sea shanty that everyone knows but nobody seems to like. While some songs of that age have aged beautifully (e.g. “God Save the King”), “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” is probably better left in the ashbin of history. The fact that The Beatles turned the tune into something worthwhile makes it their best cover. They didn’t just cover a good song, they elevated the material.
What exactly makes The Beatles’ “My Bonnie” so great? One of the greatest things about the Fab Four’s early songs was their energy. While songs like “She Loves You” or “Can’t Buy Me Love” aren’t terribly complex, they have infectious vibes. In the same vein, “My Bonnie” gives the original song a pulse. Rather than feeling like a crusty sea shanty, the band’s rendition is a bubbly love song.
The Beatles collaborated with an early rock ‘n’ roll singer to record the song
In addition, the vocals on the song are perfect. “My Bonnie” is actually a collaboration between The Beatles and early rock ‘n’ roll singer Tony Sheridan. Sheridan is mostly forgotten today (except for this one song), but one listen to “My Bonnie” makes you wonder if he is unjustly overlooked. His vocals, and the song’s jangly guitar, make this song feel like a lost Elvis Presley cut. That’s probably the highest compliment anyone can give an old-fashioned, simple rock song.
Notably, “My Bonnie” came out near the start of The Beatles’ career. The Beatles covered another old folk song, “Maggie Mae,” on their final studio album, Let It Be. The two covers are a study in contrast. While “My Bonnie” is fun and fresh, “Maggie Mae” feels like a labored track from the Stone Age. While “My Bonnie” is full of promise, “Maggie Mae” is a good example of why the Fab Four couldn’t have lasted forever.
How ‘My Bonnie’ performed on the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom
“My Bonnie” reached No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for six weeks. A version of the tune appeared on the album Anthology 1. That album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for three of its 29 weeks on the chart.
According to The Official Charts Company, “My Bonnie” reached No. 48 in the United Kingdom for a single week. On the other hand, Anthology 1 hit No. 2 and remained on the chart for 12 weeks.
“My Bonnie” gave fans an early inkling that The Beatles would become an all-time great band.
