"I’ve started a band and called it…

“You can’t judge a book by its cover”—meaning that outward appearance isn’t everything—is a popular proverb. The proverb has nothing to do with song covers, but there are jokes.

“Create a band and call ourselves ‘Books’ just to say ‘You can’t jugde us by our covers’” was posted on Twitter by Quadruple Gay Pepper on April 24, 2013. “We’re a Books cover band. We’re not very good but we hope you don’t judge The Books by our covers” was posted on Twitter later on April 24, 2013. “We started a band and called it ‘Books.’ So no one can judge us by our covers” was posted on Reddit—Dadjokes on September 11, 2021. “I’ve started a band and called it ‘Books.’ So no one can judge us by our covers” was posted on Twitter by Jon Moses on September 13, 2021.

“I used to be in a band called Gravy and Onions. We covered Meat Loaf” and “Me and my friends are in a band called ‘Duvet.’ We’re a cover band” are other puns about covering songs.

Wikipedia: Don’t judge a book by its cover
The English idiom “don’t judge a book by its cover” is a metaphorical phrase which means “you shouldn’t prejudge the worth or value of something, by its outward appearance alone”.

Early reference
In George Eliot’s The Mill on the Floss (1860), Mr Tulliver uses the phrase in discussing Daniel Defoe’s The History of the Devil, saying how it was beautifully bound.

Twitter
Quadruple Gay Pepper
@BlahBlahJordan
Create a band and call ourselves “Books” just to say “You can’t jugde us by our covers.”
7:11 PM · Apr 24, 2013·Twitter for Android

Twitter
L O V E D R O N E
@shawnfennell
We’re a Books cover band. We’re not very good but we hope you don’t judge The Books by our covers.
10:58 PM · Apr 24, 2013·Twitter for Android

Twitter
Insoy Niñal
@insoymada
I’ll start another band, I’ll call it “A Book” and people will not judge us by our covers.
10:55 AM · Aug 4, 2014·Twitter for iPhone

Twitter
Christopher Ray Hunnicutt
@BASSmanCHRIS
I’m starting a band called, “A Book,” so it’s guaranteed that no one will judge us by our covers.
7:09 PM · Jun 13, 2015·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
Benji Milanowski
@EgonMilanowski
I play in a band called Books. Thankfully no one judges us by our covers. #PundaySunday
1:23 AM · Jan 15, 2017·Buffer

Twitter
Drake AbbyChicka
@Mad_dog_drake
Bad Pun Dog | WE STARTED A BAND AND CALLED IT “BOOKS” SO NO ONE CAN JUDGE US BY OUR COVERS | image t http://pinterest.com/pin/513128951280166488/
4:59 AM · Mar 25, 2017·Pinterest

Twitter
puniverse
@sanverspuns
Maggie: If i were to start a band I would name it “books”
Alex: huh?
M: so no one can judge us by our covers
A:. .......
9:00 PM · Apr 16, 2017·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
Enchantment
@sageandspirit2
We started a band and called it “Books”, so no one can judge us by our covers.
6:06 PM · Apr 20, 2017·Twitter Web Client

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Twitter
Nathan Seery
@seeryn
We started a band and called it “Books”
so no one can judge us by our covers
#NathansGreatDadJokes
9:20 AM · May 21, 2018·Hootsuite

Twitter
Lawrence_emoma
@LawrenceEmoma
So guys I’ve just started a music band. For now the band name will be, “The Book”
This way, no one will judge us by our covers
5:15 PM · Apr 19, 2020·Twitter for Android

Twitter
Broken Puppet ☕
@java_assassin
If I started a band I’d call it Books.
Then maybe we wouldn’t be judged by our covers.
2:59 AM · Apr 22, 2020·Twitter for Android

Reddit—Dadjokes
Posted by u/Apart_Maintenance611 September 11, 2021
We started a band and called it “Books”
So no one can judge us by our covers.

Twitter
Jon Moses
@jonmosesvocals
I’ve started a band and called it “Books”
So no one can judge us by our covers.
5:45 AM · Sep 13, 2021·Twitter for iPhone

Twitter
Russell Wilson PA-C, ATC
@RussellWilsonPA
I’m going to start a band and name it “Books.”
That way, no one can judge us by our covers…
#dadjokes
12:24 PM · Sep 15, 2021·Twitter for iPhone

LaffGaff
New Band
September 16, 2021 by laffgaff
My friends and I have started a band and called it “Books”.
So no one can judge us by our covers.