You have no idea how much it pains me to say this as a card carrying member of the Fiona Apple anti-fan club, but I have to say that Fiona Apple’s version of Across The Universe is one of the very few covers of a Beatles song where the cover is actually better than the original tune.
The other 3 I can think of, in case you’re wondering, are Our Lady Peace’s version of Tomorrow Never Knows (original), Joe Cocker’s With a Little Help From my Friends (original), and Tiffany’s I Saw Him Standing There (original).
Across The Universe contains a line in the chorus that is in another language. I always assumed it was French, but I was wrong. It was Sanskrit (of course).
The line is “Jai Guru Deva, Om” and the translation is a matter of contention.
All proposed translations end with “Om,” which pretty much everyone agrees cannot be translated since it is the source of all existence that comes from vibration. For “Om,” think an Indian guy (dot not feather) with his legs crossed chanting “ooooooommmmmm, ooooooommmm.)
Possible translations:
- Victory to God Devine, om
- I give thanks (victory) (salutation) to Guru Dev (or heavenly teacher), om
- Hail to the Divine Guru, om
- All Glory to Guru Deva, om
Pretty much variations on the same theme, but there you have it.
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So, some Tiffany facts:
1. I never cared
2. The shopping mall tour was original to her. It helped make her the youngest female artist to debut at #1 on Billboard.
3. NKOTB (New Kids On The Block for those of you who weren’t born yet) was one of her opening acts during above mentioned mall concert tour.
4. She was the voice of Judy on the Jetsons Movie.
5. She, like Britney Spears, came in second place on Star Search.
I also really like Eddie Vetter’s version of “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away.”
Decent, but not better than the original.