1964 Beatles Cover Became a Hit That Paul McCartney Was ‘Honored By' 62 Years Ago
"Can't Buy Me Love" was originally released by The Beatles in 1964. A popular cover of the song was released later that same year by Ella Fitzgerald. Her version reached No. 34 in the UK, spending five weeks on the chart.
The cover was beloved by many, including The Beatles. According to Many Years From Now, Paul McCartney said, "‘Can't Buy Me Love' is my attempt to write a bluesy mode. The idea behind it was that all these material possessions are all very well but they won't buy me what I really want. It was a very hooky song. Ella Fitzgerald later did a version of it which I was very honored by."
He also spoke about the origin of the song, saying, "Personally, I think you can put any interpretation you want on anything, but when someone suggests that ‘Can't Buy Me Love' is about a prostitute, I draw the line. That's going too far."
The song has lyrics like: "I'll give you all I've got to give if you say you love me too. I may not have a lot to give, but what I've got I'll give to you. I don't care too much for money. Money can't buy me love."
The original song was also a huge hit, topping the charts in the United States, the UK, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, the Netherlands, France, and Sweden. In The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, McCartney said, "The single did really well for us, getting to number one in the UK and US at the same time. And then, funnily enough, it was knocked off the number one spot in the UK by ‘A World Without Love', a song I wrote for Jane Asher's brother Peter."
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Fitzgerald, who was known as the Queen of Jazz, has performed many other popular covers over the years, like "Dream a Little Dream of Me" and "Mack the Knife." Throughout the course of her career, she won 13 Grammy awards and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her contributions to jazz.
Fitzgerald died in 1996 at the age of 79.
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This story was originally published May 23, 2026 at 6:49 AM.