Question: I have seen many different song sheets for the Beatles Song *Norwegian Wood* using time signatures of 3/4, 6/8 and 12/8. My question is, why are they all different, why is there no consensus? What I hear in the original are 2 different time signatures (and 2 different modes): the verses with a kind of 3/4 feel and the chorus 12/8. Shouldn't the time signatures convey to the way you interpret the song?

[![Original lead sheet](https://i.stack.imgur.com/w1rN7.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/w1rN7.png) original lead sheet
[![3/4 Piano arrangement](https://i.stack.imgur.com/8C1ZM.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/8C1ZM.png) some piano arrangement
[![6/8 Piano arrangement](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1nBNs.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1nBNs.png) another piano arrangement

Answer: 
Lazy’s answer sums it up well but I would like to add that the reason there is no consensus on the notation for this song is that the song was created by a composer with no knowledge of music notation and no thought of how it would appear on sheet music. It was transcribed and notated after the fact, first by the publishers then by anyone else who wanted to make a chart of the song. This is where Lazy’s answer comes in. Any song with a 3 pulse can be interpreted in a number of ways. If the composer does not create their own written notation with their interpretation of what it should be (3/4, 6/8, etc.) then whoever writes out the song after the fact will interpret it in one of those ways and write it that way. All the versions will sound alike to a certain degree with the exception of the way strong beats are stressed in different time signatures.

I personally would go with 6/8 because the strong beats line up best with the lyrics: **I** once had a **girl** or should I **say** she once had **me**… Regarding your observations, there is only one time signature throughout, not two. There are two tonalities like you say, E Mixolydian for verses and E Dorian for the choruses which I identify as Dorian because of the A chord since there is no major or minor 6th melody note in that part of the song.
All good discussion. The three-pattern of the song fits in to all those time signatures. But what does it *feel* like? Does it feel like a waltz? Does it feel like a triplet march?

I prefer the 12/8, because it feels like two-bar phrases from the chord and melody movement, and can live with 6/8.