Everybody's Got To Learn Nine Times

Mute has released the third song from Mark Stewart's posthumous album, The Fateful Symmetry, out on 11th July. 

Not only is it a singular cover of The Korgis' signature song, Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime, but in the hands of Elijah Minnelli and Adrian Sherwood, it's been transformed into "a masterstroke of soundsystem militancy". 

And rest assured, despite the Bébe Durmiendo Cumbia Bootleg label, this is the version that you'll find on the album.

If you haven't already pre-ordered The Fateful Symmetry, you can do it now.

I have quite a few cover versions of the song already, including Beck (from 2004's Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind OST), Glasvegas (the B-side of 2007 single Geraldine) and The Dream Academy (the penultimate song of 1987's 2nd album Remembrance Days). 

However, I didn't realise quite how many more versions there are out there, so here's the three above, plus another four from Yazz, Army Of Lovers, Erasure and, sticking two fingers to her siblings*, Sharon Corr.

And, to end, it has to be the version that started it all in 1980, The Korgis and a video that looks like a complete health and safety nightmare.

All beautiful, in their own way.

1) Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime (Bébe Durmiendo Cumbia Bootleg): Mark Stewart (2025)

2) Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime: Army Of Lovers (2001)

3) Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime (Live @ Primavera Sound, São Paulo, Brazil): Beck (2023)

4) Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime: The Dream Academy (1987)

5) Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime (Live @ The EIS Christmas Concert, Birmingham): Erasure (2002)

6) Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime: Glasvegas (2008)

7) Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime: Sharon Corr (2010)

8) Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime: Yazz (1994)

9) Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime: The Korgis (1980)

* absolutely not true.