Mrs. Robinson - Cover Versions

Cover Versions

Sinatra's changing the lyrics

• One of the earliest well-known cover versions of this song was by Frank Sinatra for his 1969 album My Way. This version changes a number of lines, including replacing "Jesus" with "Jilly" and including a new verse directly referring to Mrs. Robinson's activities in The Graduate. Writing in The complete guide to the music of Paul Simon and Simon & Garfunkel, Chris Charlesworth writes that Sinatra's word-change was "senseless", motivated by the refusal of some radio stations to play the song because of the word "Jesus".

New songs about the character Mrs. Robinson

• The folk punk band Andrew Jackson Jihad based their song "People II: The Reckoning" on the song. Its final verse repeats the line "Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson" but asserts that no one cares rather than the original sentiment that Jesus loves her.
• Dutch band The Nits wrote a continuation of the romance between Mrs. Robinson and Benjamin, with new lyrics and music. Simon considered refusing to let the band re-use a few lines of his song, forcing them to delay release of the CD to record a version that used none of Simon's lyrics. The song, "Robinson", appeared on their 1998 album Alankomaat and was released as a single in the Netherlands. The live version contains lyric snippets from many other Simon and Garfunkel songs including opening with the line from "Sounds of Silence": "Hello darkness, my old friend."
• George Watsky & Mody based their song on a love of "older women" with Mrs. Robinson being the focus of the song.

Covers in different musical styles

• The James Taylor Quartet released an instrumental version in a jazz funk style on their premiere album Mission Impossible, which consisted largely of covers of '60s film music.
• American soul singer Billy Paul did a rhythm and blues version in the 1970s.
• American glam metal band Kik Tracee has a cover version on their 1991 album No Rules.
• The Coolies' first album, dig..?, released in 1986 by DB Records, consisted of nine covers of Simon & Garfunkel classics, including an instrumental version of "Mrs. Robinson".
• The Lemonheads recorded a punk-inflected cover version of this song that made #19 in December 1992. Although not originally included on The Lemonheads' album It's A Shame About Ray, the album was re-released with the cover of "Mrs. Robinson" included after the single's chart success.
• Stadium rockers Bon Jovi recorded the song on one of their live performances. The song was included on the limited edition bonus disc of their 1995 These Days album.
• Booker T & The MG's recorded an instrumental version in 1969 which first appeared on their album The Booker T. Set.

Foreign language covers

• In 1968 Francesco Guccini translated "Mrs. Robinson" into Italian; it was first covered in this version by the Italian beat group Royals and later was recorded by Bobby Solo on his LP Bobby Folk in 1970.
• In 1999 the Finnish band Eläkeläiset released a song "Herra Kekkonen" (Mr. Kekkonen, in reference to former president of Finland Urho Kekkonen) on their EP Humppaorgiat. While the melody is identical to Paul Simon's song, the lyrics are entirely new and different and are not a translation of the original lyrics.