The Beatles - I Wanna Hold Your Hand
Across The Universe - I Wanna Hold Your Hand
We all know The Beatles and their hit I Wanna Hold Your Hand which “remains the best-selling Beatles single in the United States.” Do you know Across the Universe’s version of I Wanna Hold Your Hand? In the videos posted above, the same song is sung, but the meanings behind them are in two different worlds.
The Beatles’ version of this song is a lot less stressed than it is in Across the Universe. For The Beatles, it’s a song about love. There is nothing that they have to overcome within this song. “Paul McCartney wrote this in Jane Asher's basement. Asher was an actress who became Paul's first high-profile girlfriend.” This song was written for Sir McCartney’s girl whom he later dated. He had no trouble getting the girl and there was no reason they couldn’t be together.
In Across the Universe, this song is sung by a girl, Prudence, who is in love with one of her friends which is another girl. She knows the risk of telling others about her secret love, but she wants to be with her. This version has a lot more behind the words than The Beatles’ version. Prudence has a lot of feeling hidden behind the lyrics. There’s suffering, lust, love, hurt, etc. She can’t go out and get the girl as Sir Paul did; there are lists of reasons why the relationship couldn’t work.
The difference in these songs is created through writing. The Beatles’ back story behind this song is Jane Asher. Across the Universe’s back story is forbidden love.
The Beatles may not have a full story available for everyone to read and go gaga over, but you can imagine. Sir Paul and Ms. Asher were living in the same house. Sir Paul plays guitar and has a dreamy voice. Ms. Asher was probably swooning over him. Sir Paul might play with her feelings for a bit before starting to date her. The two would live happily together. No outside drama, no outside violence, nothing unexpected. I Wanna Hold Your Hand, to them, is just a common love story written by Sir Paul to Ms. Asher.
Across the Universe has the story setup within a movie. Prudence is in love with her fellow cheerleader friend. She cannot tell the girl because of what the outcome might bring. The two are close to each other each day, yet Prudence has to keep her feelings in hold. The friend never shows any interest in Prudence and eventually walks off with one of the football players. There is heartache in this song that is absent in The Beatle’s version. Much more feeling is added to this version because of the story behind it.
I’m not saying one version is better than the other; one just has more emotion behind it than the other. The Beatles’ version is good in its own story just as Across the Universe’s is as well. The one filled with love and happiness, the other with lust and disappointment.
One song, two meanings.
Lyrics to I Wanna Hold Your Hand
Facts about I Wanna Hold Your Hand