I love James Bond movies. And when I say “James Bond movies,” I mean the ones starring Sean Connery. Maybe I’m just an old fashioned kind of girl, but in my eyes, no man has been able to so much as hold a candle to Sean Connery’s Bond.

Bond debate aside, one thing most Bond fans can probably agree on is that there have been a lot of really great Bond theme songs. “Goldfinger,” “Diamonds are Forever.” But as much as I love all the theme songs, there’s really only one that I can listen to outside of the context of watching a James Bond movie: “You Only Live Twice.”

So many of the theme songs don’t entirely make sense without the context of the movie, which makes enjoying them in a regular listening environment a little more difficult. “You Only Live Twice,” however, is such a beautiful, mesmerizing and contemplative song that it doesn’t quite fit as being just a Bond theme.

I love the Nancy Sinatra version (how could I not?) but about a year ago I stumbled across a cover version by Bjork that really impressed me. I’m very hit-or-miss with Bjork, and I’m very hit-or-miss with covers, but Bjork’s intensity really shines in this song.

Nancy Sinatra: “You Only Live Twice” (download)
Bjork: “You Only Live Twice (Nancy Sinatra Cover)” (download)