Covering Dylan: 5 Different Takes on “Just Like a Woman”

“Just Like a Woman,” which was first released on the 1966 masterpiece double album Blonde on Blonde, has proven to be one of Bob Dylan’s most enduring ballads. The country-tinged arrangement and the lilting melody were home to both a telling character sketch and a heartsick lament.

Practically from the moment he released it, artists of all stripes were lining up to take a crack at it. Here are five covers of “Just Like a Woman” throughout the years that did Dylan quite proud.

The British Invasion Take: Manfred Mann from As Is (1966)

How did this Brit group named after its keyboardist get their version of “Just Like a Woman” out on the streets barely a month after Dylan released Blonde on Blonde? Someone who worked for them was doing press for Dylan in Britain and got them early access to this classic. In their version, which was sung by Mike D’Abo and featured longtime Beatles’ friend Klaus Voorman on bass, they cut out Dylan’s second verse and the bridge for a shorter running time. This cutdown works surprisingly well, as it focused on the narrator’s heartache and yielded the band a Top-10 UK hit.

The Swinging Take: Richie Havens from Mixed Bag (1966)

We tend to think of Havens as a folk singer. When he played this song in 1992 at Dylan’s 30th anniversary concert, he certainly took in that direction, as he emoted the lyrics amidst some furious acoustic guitar strumming (reminiscent of his beloved take on The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun.”) But back in ’66, he was making his debut album, and he was presented in more of a jazz combo context. Interesting note: This and the next two entries on this list change Dylan’s lyrics, for some reason, to the problems from her curls, instead of fallen from her curls.

The Bluesy Take: Joe Cocker from With a Little Help From My Friends (1969)

When Joe Cocker hit the scene with his debut album in 1969, he was pretty much a genre to himself: a non-songwriter who covered rock songs. He surrounded himself with top-notch talent. On this version of “Just Like a Woman,” for example, Jimmy Page lays down some guitar licks, while Matthew Fisher, famous for his work on Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” plays organ. Considering it was his first record, Cocker already possessed a knack for what to bring to each song, which in this case was a kind of bluesy resignation.

The Legend’s Take: Nina Simone from Here Comes the Sun (1971)

Simone had covered Dylan a few times before, so it wasn’t too surprising she took on “Just Like a Woman” for her Here Comes the Sun album in 1971, since that was a record mostly devoted to pop/rock-style songs. What might be surprising is she’s relatively faithful to the original. Remember Simone was known for taking songs into unexpected places, almost changing their meaning in the process at times with her ad-libs. Aside from starting “Just Like a Woman” in the chorus, she mostly sticks to the plot and lets her languid vocals carry the day.

The Ethereal Take: Jeff Buckley from You and I (2016)

You and I was released in 2016, but the recordings were actually made by Jeff Buckley in 1993, a year before his breakthrough debut album Grace. Buckley was both showing off his talents for his new record company and providing blueprints for songs he might later flesh out in full, which is why it’s mostly just voice and guitar. But that was more than enough for this gifted interpreter to cast a spell. Listen on this take to how his volume control gives you a feeling of somebody going through a wide range of emotions, and takes you the listener on that ride in the process.

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