“Hey Jude” by The Beatles is one of the band’s most celebrated songs and one of the most iconic singles of the 1960s. Released on 26 August 1968 as a non-album single, with “Revolution” as the B-side, it was the first Beatles single issued on their own Apple Records label. The song was written mainly by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney, with George Martin as producer.

Musically, “Hey Jude” blends rock, pop, and pop rock with the emotional structure of a piano ballad. The recording begins with Paul McCartney’s lead vocal and piano, then gradually expands with John Lennon on acoustic guitar, George Harrison on electric guitar, Ringo Starr on drums and tambourine, McCartney on bass guitar, backing vocals from Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, and a 36-piece orchestra. The orchestral coda includes strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion, and additional voices clapping and singing along to the famous “na-na-na” refrain.

The song was recorded at Trident Studios in London on 31 July and 1 August 1968, during the same period The Beatles were working on The White Album. One important technical curiosity is that “Hey Jude” was the first Beatles song recorded on eight-track recording equipment, which gave the band more space for overdubs and helped create the huge sound of the final coda.

The inspiration behind “Hey Jude” is especially personal. McCartney originally wrote it as “Hey Jules” to comfort Julian Lennon, John Lennon’s young son, after John separated from Cynthia Lennon and began his relationship with Yoko Ono. McCartney later changed “Jules” to “Jude” because he thought it sounded better. Interestingly, John Lennon later said he heard the song as if it were also addressed to him.

“Hey Jude” became a massive global success. It reached No. 1 in many countries and became the top-selling single of 1968 in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and Canada. In the U.S., it spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, tying the all-time record at the time for the longest run at the top of the chart. The song has sold approximately eight million copies worldwide.

One of the most memorable curiosities about the recording is the long outro. At more than seven minutes, “Hey Jude” was unusually long for a hit single, especially in the 1960s. Its final coda lasts for over four minutes and became one of the most famous singalong endings in popular music. Another interesting detail is that during the recording, McCartney and George Harrison disagreed about the guitar arrangement, because Harrison wanted to answer each vocal line with guitar phrases, while McCartney preferred a simpler build-up.

The promotional film, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, also became part of the song’s legend. It featured The Beatles surrounded by an audience who joined them in singing the coda, reinforcing the song’s feeling of optimism, community, and emotional release.

‍

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
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na

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 is just you?
Hey, Jude, you'll do
The movement you need is on your shoulder
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na

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, yeah)

Na, na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na, hey, Jude
Na, na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na, hey, Jude
Na, na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na, hey, Jude
Na, na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na, hey, Jude

‍