With their 1968 number one single "Hey Jude," the Beatles managed to cover several bases at once. It was one of their most memorable, classic, romantic songs, and it was simultaneously quite commercial and structurally daring, even barrier-breaking. The barrier being broken was that which limited pop singles to about two or three minutes in length, and certainly never more than five; "Hey Jude" went on for just over seven minutes. Sung and written by Paul McCartney (although John Lennon was instrumental in getting him to keep the line about the movement on his shoulder), "Hey Jude" is not exactly a standard love song, but a song of consolation, sympathy, and encouragement. After all, the singer is not singing about himself or singing to a lover, but to a friend, imploring him or her to let go of the sadness of the past and open up to the possibilities of a new relationship. Lennon even speculated that McCartney was addressing the song to him, saying it was okay for him to begin his relationship with Yoko Ono. It was written around the time McCartney's engagement to Jane Asher broke off (and shortly before his relationship with Linda Eastman became serious), however, so it could also be seen as a subtle message to himself. Whatever, "Hey Jude"'s strength lies in its sublime melody, sad at points but never depressing, with an elegiac mood heightened by McCartney's stately piano playing and the Beatles' angelic background harmonies. What could have been just another great Beatles ballad became something quite extraordinary at the end of the last verse when the vocals unpredictably repeat the last word over and over again in ascending notes, ending in a full-out jubilant scream. That's the signal for the most elongated Beatles fadeout ever, lasting about four minutes, consisting solely of repeated harmonized "nah nah nah" refrains. What could have very easily been boring is instead hypnotic, because McCartney varies the vocal with some of the greatest nonsense scatting ever heard in rock, ranging from mantra-like chants to soulful lines to James Brown power screams. In addition, there's a gradual addition of numerous orchestral instruments, creating a symphonic grandeur that builds in majesty. "Hey Jude" can easily be covered by reducing much or most of the fadeout, and has been frequently interpreted by rock, pop, and even jazz performers, including Elvis Presley and (in a live rendition) the Grateful Dead. The most commercially successful one, however, was by Wilson Pickett, whose soul cover, with guitar by Duane Allman, made the Top 30 in early 1969, just a few months after the Beatles' own version had topped the charts.
Hey Jude 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
I’m a huge 50s, 60s 70s music fan!
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