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Alexis Jones

Professor Hellmers

English Composition II

4 November 2021

“Across the Universe”

“Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my opened mind, possessing and

caressing me.” These are the opening lines of the classic Beatles song, “Across the Universe.”

This song captures the complexities of life and how different situations evoke different feelings

in one another. Sources have reported that “the refrain "Jai Guru Deva Om" in the song, is a

mantra intended to lull the mind into a higher consciousness. The words mean "I give thanks to

Guru Dev," who was a spiritual teacher and the "Om" at the end is the sound that is often used in

meditation.” Lennon was heavily influenced by Buddhist and Hindu practices and this interest

was often reflected in his music. Many artists have covered this song because of how powerful it

is and how many ways it can be interpreted. Two extremely well-known versions of “Across the

Universe” were created by musicians Fiona Apple and Rufus Wainwright. The Fiona Apple

cover of the song brings a sense of edge while Rufus Wainwright is more tentative in his version

of "Across the Universe."

Fiona Apple covered, "Across the Universe" in 2012. Fiona Apple is an alternative singer

songwriter and is known for her distinct voice and the rich and smooth vibrato she provides.

Fiona Apple slows down the original and brings in synthetic beats and instrumentals, adding

modernity and a unique spin to the original track. Her music video is captured and edited in a

black and white filter. The video is set in an old-fashioned diner and features Fiona Apple as the
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main subject of the video. She is captured in the diner wearing headphones and singing to the

audience, as other people rush the diner and disrupt into chaos. Men are shown breaking glasses,

banging the walls with baseball bats, and fighting one another while Fiona stays in the center of

it all. Halfway into the song Fiona takes off her headphones and then the camera position

switches to capture her from an above angle. Throughout this music video she makes direct eye

contact with the audience, changing her expressions from feelings of sadness to feelings of

humility, showing her artistic depth. Everything Fiona sings leaves a melancholy feeling in the

audience.

While Fiona Apple took more of a melancholy, new age approach to covering "Across

the Universe," Rufus Wainwright conversely performed similarly to the Beatles original. Rufus

Wainwright is another singer songwriter and has a voice that can be described as slightly high

pitched but still raspy. Rufus’ music video, which was released in 2009, features Rufus and a

young girl in red as the main characters of the story. The girl is seen traveling through the streets,

while carrying a red balloon, in wonder of all the world has to offer. Along with the girl dressed

in red, Rufus Wainwrights music video features dozens of men in business suits floating in

midair. The men display blank expressions, a reference to famous surrealist artist René Magritte.

The world around looks isolated and cold but at the center there is a light. This young girl brings

color to the environment, representing hope for a brighter more collaborative world. Throughout

the video she is in wonder of the scene she is observing. She continues to chase after Rufus and

gain his attention until finally they make eye contact at the end when she makes one final wish.

When they finally make eye contact, you can sense the power of human connection and how it

affects your view of the world. The music video concludes with multiple red balloons releasing
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into the sky and the businessmen and Rufus dropping down gently to the ground, rejoining life

on Earth.

Given these points, one can say both Fiona and Rufus used pathos to appeal to the

audience. The audience for Rufus' video seems to be older, classic rock fans while Fionas'

audience is younger, alternative music listeners. Fionas cover appeals to younger generations that

feel misunderstood and overwhelmed in this chaotic world. However, Rufus cover appeals to

people who are seeking a sense of hope. Unlike Fiona, Rufus’ music video provides a sense of

calm and general optimism to the original Beatles song.

To conclude, Fiona Apple and Rufus Wainwright are both talented musicians that made

“Across the Universe” their own. Each artist had their own interpretation of the song which led

to them creating their own unique meaning. The purpose of both versions was to connect to the

audience and display their idea of the song. It takes talent and skill to make a cover distinct from

the original, but both were able to do so in beautiful ways.

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Works Cited

Songfacts. “Across the Universe by the Beatles .” Song Meanings at Songfacts,

https://www.songfacts.com/facts/the-beatles/across-the-universe.
Apple, Fiona. “Across the Universe.” YouTube, uploaded by Kelinhauk, 25 January 2012, Fiona
Apple - Across The Universe.
Wainwright, Rufus. “Across The Universe.” YouTube, uploaded by Rufus Wainwright, 7
October 2009, Rufus Wainwright - Across The Universe.
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