The Beatles' "HEY JUDE" Interpretation
The Beatles' "Hey Jude"
The band playing Hey Jude with a mob audience surrounding them. The Beatles were always about, "If we can do it, so can you." They loved their fans and had a surprisingly low ego quotient when it came to being . . . . The Beatles. This video still captures the Fabs at their fan friendly best. Just one of the gang.
The Beatles released the biggest, grandest 45 rpm hit in their storied career in August, 1968. It was "Hey Jude." Like so many of their mid to late period lyrics, the words were general and opaque enough to allow for a variety of interpretations. Here now, your humble correspondant will give you three.
This epic single started out in the fertile mind of genius song writer Paul McCartney one day as he drove out to visit John Lennon's estranged wife Cynthia. It was clear to all that John was smitten with Yoko Ono by the summer of 1968 and that he was never returning to his wife of five years. The thing was, the Beatles and their wives were all friends and in Paul's own words, you didn't just want to shut out a wife altogether just because of a divorce. Paul was particularly close to little Julian, the Lennon's 5 year old son. Let's see what Paul had to say about it:
“I’d known Cynthia for a long time, she was a good friend,” McCartney later elaborated. “When people like that are getting divorced you can’t just blank the wife. I’d got this little (tune) of ‘Hey Jules.’ I was thinking of a nickname for Julian. ‘Hey Jules, don’t make it bad, take a sad song and make it better.’ You know ― don’t be too brought down by this divorce, lad, it’ll be all right, kind of style.”
By the time McCartney arrived at Cynthia's house, the song was basically complete. Such was the way it was with a musical genius of Paul McCartney's caliber; a song would drift into his consciousness partially or nearly complete and he would work out the details in the studio. It was the same way for Lennon.
As for Julian, he too confirms the situation. “Paul and I used to hang about quite a bit,” Julian Lennon stated. “More than Dad and I did. We had a great friendship going and there seems to be far more pictures of me and Paul playing together at that age than there are pictures of me and my dad.”
Paul with young Julian, 1968. See John in the back.
Shortly thereafter, Paul demo'd the tune for John Lennon and Yoko up in Paul's Cavendish Ave. home, on the fourth floor music room. Simply stated, John was stunned by it's beauty and simplicity. When Paul went through the 2nd middle eight, he apologized for the line, "The movement you need is on your shoulders" and vowed to change it to something better later. Lennon famously vetoed Paul's suggestion and demanded that he keep the line in the song, saying it was the best line in an already great song. Such was the dynamic with John and Paul even during 1968 when Lennon's interest in the band began to wane dramatically. He still knew a fine piece of work when he heard it. John was more than taken with the song, he loved it. John Lennon later admitted he was convinced “Hey Jude” was, “a song to me. If you think about it. Yoko’s just come into the picture. He’s saying. ‘Hey, Jude—Hey, John.’ I know I’m sounding like one of those fans who reads things into it, but you can hear it as a song to me. Subconsciously, he was saying, ‘Go ahead, leave me.’ On a conscious level, he didn’t want me to go ahead.”
Hmmm, interesting. In any event, the Beatles decided to record the song in London's Trident Studios. That studio, unlike Abbey Road, had just installed the then brand new 8 track recording equipment and the Fabs wanted to try it out. The final session for "Hey Jude" took place on August 1, 1968 and featured the fade out orchestral bit with a 36 piece orchestra playing. With the 8 track lattitude, the Beatles were able to layer this particular song more so than any other song they had written without bumping down 4 tracks to one track and recording on three remaining tracks like they had been forced to do for years at the time. The result was tangible: the song was a masterpiece recorded on the best equipment then available and it sounded gorgeous. *Paul changed the name from Hey Jules to Hey Jude because it just sounded better to him.
Released on August 26 in America, and August 30th in the U.K., “Hey Jude” quickly became the Beatles' most commercially successful single release ― and Billboard’s top release of 1968. It was also the first release by the Beatles’ Apple label, holding the top spot on the British charts until being bumped by Apple lablemate Mary Hopkins’ “Those Were the Days” – Apple’s second single release. It stayed at #1 in the US for NINE WEEKS. Interstingly, we recall at this point in time, the Beatles were still in the throws of recording their monster "White Album" double LP. "Hey Jude" was never intended to be part of the "White Album." It was to be a stand alone single. No other band or artist in history displayed such a wealth of high qaulity material where they could release songs like this specifically designed NOT to be on the artist's next album. Simply, utterly amazing. "Hey Jude" was still #1 in American when the Beatles' own "White Album" was released.
Not surprisingly, GRAMMY ignored "Hey Jude." It was nominated for three Grammys and naturally lost on all three nominations. The big song in the US that year, besides "Hey Jude" was "Little Green Apples" and that is the tune that won "Song of the Year." *Within a few years, "Little Green Apples" had ceased to generate any air play on radio. Now, in 2009 it is a virtually forgotten song and relegated to the status of "minor cult curiosity." Hey Jude by comparison, is still a mainstay on radio everywhere in the world. **Even more interesting is the bit about little GREEN apples considering the Beatles' own new APPLE label had just come to the fore featuring a very green Granny Smith apple as their logo.
Paul sings "Hey Jude" in the video promo clip.
Musically, the song couldn't be simpler, based on a basic triad in F. The main chords are simply, F - C - Bb. The final fade out flips the triad slightly and shifts to Eb with the chord arpeggio F-Eb-Bb. The melody is simply and memorable. Lennon's harmony is unique in that he shifts his harmonic from below McCartney's lead vocal to singing above Paul all in the same verse. Here now the lyrics:
1) 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.
2) 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.
Mid. 8: And any time 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 . . . . .
3) Hey Jude, don't let me down. You have found her, no go and get her. Remember, to let her into your heart, then you can start, to make it better.
2nd M. 8: So let it out and let it in, Hey Jude begin, you've 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 shoulders. Na,na,na,na . . . . . . .
4) Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better. Remember, to let her under your skin. Then you begin, to make it better, better, better, better, better, oh baby, yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Na, na,na,na,na,na, ,. . . . . . . .
1) PAUL's Version: He wrote it for Julian Lennon. OK, if you say so Paul. But what about the bit about "going out and getting her." What in the world??
2) JOHN's Version: Lennon, very interestingly, makes the most sense here. Every line in the song could be about Lennon: "taking a sad song and making it better" (going easy on Cynthia during the divorce and/or making his life more fulsome with his new love Yoko). Or the more blatant, "You have found her, now go and get her." Or how about, "You've waiting for someone to perform with." Truly, John may have been right about Paul subconsciously writing to his remarkable writing partner and saying, " Go ahead, get your new partner and leave me."
3) BIBLICAL Version: I'm sure Paul didn't intend this for a moment, but again, the lyrics are so broad that they seem to fit. Bear with me; Jude is Israel. She is Lebanon/Palestinians. "The movement you need is on your shoulders" could indicate the state of Lebanon sitting directly north of Israel. The lyrics embrace the concept of reconciliation between the Jewish state and it's opponents. "You've been waiting for someone to perform with" could mean a new ally in the Middle East.
Well, we could go on and on here with the interpretations but I think Lennon nailed it. There is also a version claiming to be about heroin. The thought is so deeply ridiculous that I didn't bother developing it here. JUDE is Hebrew meaning "thanks or praise." "Hey Jude" could very well be Paul singing out in thanks to his partner John. The two great geniuses locked together immortally and forever, in their eternal competition, their eternal coalition, their eternal-inviolable bond that transcending time, cannot be broken.
What do you think?
By John Haberstroh (Bassist for BeatleTracks) Find us at www.beatletracksband.com
The band playing Hey Jude with a mob audience surrounding them. The Beatles were always about, "If we can do it, so can you." They loved their fans and had a surprisingly low ego quotient when it came to being . . . . The Beatles. This video still captures the Fabs at their fan friendly best. Just one of the gang.The Beatles released the biggest, grandest 45 rpm hit in their storied career in August, 1968. It was "Hey Jude." Like so many of their mid to late period lyrics, the words were general and opaque enough to allow for a variety of interpretations. Here now, your humble correspondant will give you three.
This epic single started out in the fertile mind of genius song writer Paul McCartney one day as he drove out to visit John Lennon's estranged wife Cynthia. It was clear to all that John was smitten with Yoko Ono by the summer of 1968 and that he was never returning to his wife of five years. The thing was, the Beatles and their wives were all friends and in Paul's own words, you didn't just want to shut out a wife altogether just because of a divorce. Paul was particularly close to little Julian, the Lennon's 5 year old son. Let's see what Paul had to say about it:
“I’d known Cynthia for a long time, she was a good friend,” McCartney later elaborated. “When people like that are getting divorced you can’t just blank the wife. I’d got this little (tune) of ‘Hey Jules.’ I was thinking of a nickname for Julian. ‘Hey Jules, don’t make it bad, take a sad song and make it better.’ You know ― don’t be too brought down by this divorce, lad, it’ll be all right, kind of style.”
By the time McCartney arrived at Cynthia's house, the song was basically complete. Such was the way it was with a musical genius of Paul McCartney's caliber; a song would drift into his consciousness partially or nearly complete and he would work out the details in the studio. It was the same way for Lennon.
As for Julian, he too confirms the situation. “Paul and I used to hang about quite a bit,” Julian Lennon stated. “More than Dad and I did. We had a great friendship going and there seems to be far more pictures of me and Paul playing together at that age than there are pictures of me and my dad.”
Paul with young Julian, 1968. See John in the back.
Shortly thereafter, Paul demo'd the tune for John Lennon and Yoko up in Paul's Cavendish Ave. home, on the fourth floor music room. Simply stated, John was stunned by it's beauty and simplicity. When Paul went through the 2nd middle eight, he apologized for the line, "The movement you need is on your shoulders" and vowed to change it to something better later. Lennon famously vetoed Paul's suggestion and demanded that he keep the line in the song, saying it was the best line in an already great song. Such was the dynamic with John and Paul even during 1968 when Lennon's interest in the band began to wane dramatically. He still knew a fine piece of work when he heard it. John was more than taken with the song, he loved it. John Lennon later admitted he was convinced “Hey Jude” was, “a song to me. If you think about it. Yoko’s just come into the picture. He’s saying. ‘Hey, Jude—Hey, John.’ I know I’m sounding like one of those fans who reads things into it, but you can hear it as a song to me. Subconsciously, he was saying, ‘Go ahead, leave me.’ On a conscious level, he didn’t want me to go ahead.”
Hmmm, interesting. In any event, the Beatles decided to record the song in London's Trident Studios. That studio, unlike Abbey Road, had just installed the then brand new 8 track recording equipment and the Fabs wanted to try it out. The final session for "Hey Jude" took place on August 1, 1968 and featured the fade out orchestral bit with a 36 piece orchestra playing. With the 8 track lattitude, the Beatles were able to layer this particular song more so than any other song they had written without bumping down 4 tracks to one track and recording on three remaining tracks like they had been forced to do for years at the time. The result was tangible: the song was a masterpiece recorded on the best equipment then available and it sounded gorgeous. *Paul changed the name from Hey Jules to Hey Jude because it just sounded better to him.
Released on August 26 in America, and August 30th in the U.K., “Hey Jude” quickly became the Beatles' most commercially successful single release ― and Billboard’s top release of 1968. It was also the first release by the Beatles’ Apple label, holding the top spot on the British charts until being bumped by Apple lablemate Mary Hopkins’ “Those Were the Days” – Apple’s second single release. It stayed at #1 in the US for NINE WEEKS. Interstingly, we recall at this point in time, the Beatles were still in the throws of recording their monster "White Album" double LP. "Hey Jude" was never intended to be part of the "White Album." It was to be a stand alone single. No other band or artist in history displayed such a wealth of high qaulity material where they could release songs like this specifically designed NOT to be on the artist's next album. Simply, utterly amazing. "Hey Jude" was still #1 in American when the Beatles' own "White Album" was released.
Not surprisingly, GRAMMY ignored "Hey Jude." It was nominated for three Grammys and naturally lost on all three nominations. The big song in the US that year, besides "Hey Jude" was "Little Green Apples" and that is the tune that won "Song of the Year." *Within a few years, "Little Green Apples" had ceased to generate any air play on radio. Now, in 2009 it is a virtually forgotten song and relegated to the status of "minor cult curiosity." Hey Jude by comparison, is still a mainstay on radio everywhere in the world. **Even more interesting is the bit about little GREEN apples considering the Beatles' own new APPLE label had just come to the fore featuring a very green Granny Smith apple as their logo.
Paul sings "Hey Jude" in the video promo clip.Musically, the song couldn't be simpler, based on a basic triad in F. The main chords are simply, F - C - Bb. The final fade out flips the triad slightly and shifts to Eb with the chord arpeggio F-Eb-Bb. The melody is simply and memorable. Lennon's harmony is unique in that he shifts his harmonic from below McCartney's lead vocal to singing above Paul all in the same verse. Here now the lyrics:
1) 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.
2) 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.
Mid. 8: And any time 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 . . . . .
3) Hey Jude, don't let me down. You have found her, no go and get her. Remember, to let her into your heart, then you can start, to make it better.
2nd M. 8: So let it out and let it in, Hey Jude begin, you've 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 shoulders. Na,na,na,na . . . . . . .
4) Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better. Remember, to let her under your skin. Then you begin, to make it better, better, better, better, better, oh baby, yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Na, na,na,na,na,na, ,. . . . . . . .
1) PAUL's Version: He wrote it for Julian Lennon. OK, if you say so Paul. But what about the bit about "going out and getting her." What in the world??
2) JOHN's Version: Lennon, very interestingly, makes the most sense here. Every line in the song could be about Lennon: "taking a sad song and making it better" (going easy on Cynthia during the divorce and/or making his life more fulsome with his new love Yoko). Or the more blatant, "You have found her, now go and get her." Or how about, "You've waiting for someone to perform with." Truly, John may have been right about Paul subconsciously writing to his remarkable writing partner and saying, " Go ahead, get your new partner and leave me."
3) BIBLICAL Version: I'm sure Paul didn't intend this for a moment, but again, the lyrics are so broad that they seem to fit. Bear with me; Jude is Israel. She is Lebanon/Palestinians. "The movement you need is on your shoulders" could indicate the state of Lebanon sitting directly north of Israel. The lyrics embrace the concept of reconciliation between the Jewish state and it's opponents. "You've been waiting for someone to perform with" could mean a new ally in the Middle East.
Well, we could go on and on here with the interpretations but I think Lennon nailed it. There is also a version claiming to be about heroin. The thought is so deeply ridiculous that I didn't bother developing it here. JUDE is Hebrew meaning "thanks or praise." "Hey Jude" could very well be Paul singing out in thanks to his partner John. The two great geniuses locked together immortally and forever, in their eternal competition, their eternal coalition, their eternal-inviolable bond that transcending time, cannot be broken.
What do you think?
By John Haberstroh (Bassist for BeatleTracks) Find us at www.beatletracksband.com
I go for the interpretation of Paul letting go of John. John was drifting away from the band and Paul had been desparately trying to keep everyone together. To me the ending of "Hey Jude" is a musicl portrait of Paul's agony i the realization that his relationship with John was coming to an end....but then again, only Paul knows for sure.
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