The curious Beatles song that is Michael Stipe’s (REM) favorite

You Beatles left an impressive musical catalog available to their audience. In less than a decade, the band released twelve studio albums, as well as singles with songs that did not appear on the albums and even tracks after the group’s disbandment, such as the recently released “Now and Then”.

Because of this, it is not an easy task for any fan to choose which would be the best song made by Fab Four. Even so, Michael Stipe has an answer at the tip of his tongue for this challenge — and his option is not the most conventional.

It is worth highlighting that the REM., a band that featured the vocalist throughout its entire existence — between 1980 and 2011 —, added influences from bands such as Beatles It is Rolling Stones in the final part of his discography. Initially, the references were more alternative names, such as Patti Smith, New York Dolls, Television and Velvet Underground. Over time, the punk vibe gained more classic contours.

The best for Michael Stipe

That being said, Stipe revealed that “I Want to Hold Your Hand”one of the first hits of Fab Four, is his favorite song of theirs and one of his favorites among all the bands. But not in the version you probably know.

In an interview with Pitchfork (via Far Out), Michael — who is American — revealed that he really likes the German version of “I Want to Hold Your Hand”. In German territory, the track won the title “Komm, gib mir deine Hand”.

It is not mere randomness. First, because the Beatles They have a strong relationship with Germany due to the time they spent in Hamburg, between 1960 and 1962. They performed tirelessly in several nightclubs in the city before returning to England and making it big. Second, because Stipe’s house had a domestic worker from Germany.

“There was a German woman who cleaned our apartment and took care of us when my mother and father were out of work. One afternoon I went to her house and she left me in the living room. She had an old radio on a high shelf and was playing music. I just stood there looking up and wondering what the hell I was listening to.”

The recording was made available as a single in May 1964. The compact also featured a German version for “She Loves You” (“Sie liebt dich”). The lyrics were translated by the Luxembourg musician Camillo Felgenunder the pseudonym Jean Nicolas. The first track reached the top of the German chart, while the second reached seventh place there.