The Beatles Hey Jude

It’s 50 years since Paul McCartney came up with Hey Jude while driving from London to Surrey – and made a song that’s sung everywhere from football terraces to Oxford colleges.

The ballad evolved from “Hey Jules”, a song McCartney wrote to comfort John Lennon’s son, Julian, during his parents’ divorce after John Lennon and his wife Cynthia Lennon had separated after John’s affair with Yoko Ono in May 1968.

“Hey Jude” was released in August 1968 as the first single from the Beatles’ record label Apple Records. More than seven minutes in length, it was at the time the longest single ever to top the British charts. It also spent nine weeks at number one in the United States, the longest for any Beatles single. “Hey Jude” tied the “all-time” record, at the time, for the longest run at the top of the US charts. The single has sold approximately eight million copies and is frequently included on professional critics’ lists of the greatest songs of all time.

Lyrics:

Hey Jude, don’t make it bad

Take a sad song and make it better

Remember to let her into your heart

Then you can start to make it better

Hey Jude, don’t be afraid

You were made to go out and get her

The minute you let her under your skin

Then you begin to make it better

And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain

Don’t carry the world upon your shoulders

For well you know that it’s a fool who plays it cool

By making his world a little colder

Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah

Hey Jude, don’t let me down

You have found her, now go and get her

Remember to let her into your heart

Then you can start to make it better

So let it out and let it in, hey Jude, begin

You’re waiting for someone to perform with

And don’t you know that it’s just you, hey Jude, you’ll do

The movement you need is on your shoulder

Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah yeah

Hey Jude, don’t make it bad

Take a sad song and make it better

Remember to let her under your skin

Then you’ll begin to make it

Better better better better better better, oh

Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude

Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude

Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude

Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude

Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude

Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude

Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude

Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude

Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude

Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude

Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude

Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude

Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude

Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude

Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude

Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude