This and “Let It Be” are their masterpiece ballads in my opinion. If you haven’t heard “Let It Be” I have to recommend it. Paul McCartney (at the piano) wrote it after a dream in which his late mother Mary appeared to him.
I agree. I have always loved that line. It's pure Paul. Julian still calls him Uncle Paul 56 years later. And it's just a wonderful sentiment to live by.
Paul [on piano] is singing this in concerts in Uruguay right now at age 82!!!!! The song is not about Judas, but about Julian Lennon, John Lennon's son [John on guitar with glasses]. his parents were getting divorced. Paul stared out singing "Hey Jules" but changed the words to Hey Jude.
Julian was only 5 years old when his dad John Lennon, left him and his mother Cynthia (John's 1st wife) for Yoko Ono. It was very hard on little Julian.
One of my earliest childhood memories is of Penny Lane. My uncle, crippled when a prisoner of the Japanese, couldn't have children. So in 1968 he and his wife adopted a Vietnamese war orphan. Her name was Penny and I remember the first time my parents took us to meet the new member of the family. I can see her now, we were at the garden gate and my aunt and Penny came through the front door to greet us. Wearing a little, Jackie Kennedy style, skirt suit and hat. I would have been about 5, she was 7. She was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. And somewhere, on a radio, was Penny Lane by The Beatles. I hear Penny Lane, it reminds me every time. I try not to listen to that one too much to keep that memory fresh. It triggers something nice.
This was the English show the David Frost Show. The tape of this was then sent to the USA for the Smother Brothers show to broadcast. We all saw it then. The Beatles biggest selling single, 9 weeks at #1. Radio stations were upset at the length. Average length they wanted was 3 minutes then. The different cultures and races represented by this crowd indicated the Beatles were inclusive of everyone, and wanted to show that to the world, that we CAN work together of we can sing together, for world peace. As you can see they had a sense of humor, horsing around at the beginning like they couldn't sing very well. it was all a joke, everybody knew who they were lol.
Paul McCartney wrote this about John Lennon's son Julian., who he called Jude. Julian's mum and dad were divorcing at the time and Paul wrote it on the way to see him in his car
The sixties at the height of its power and brilliance. Free expression, artistic innovation, community, belonging, and the beatles defined the decade from beginning to end. No corporate hacks, no branding, no marketing, no consumer driven messaging. Just self expression.
Julian Lennon (John's son) was just about to turn 4 years old when John and his mom Cynthia split up. John had fallen in love with Yoko. A few lines of this song are directed towards John, to make the best of his new love, and the rest of the song is written to console "little Jules" (Jude).
You were feeling it like the fans there did..The Beatles were England's pride, and rumors of the breakup were already flying..For all they knew, it was the last time they'd get to see them. And for many there, it was.
I'm really glad to see all the comments down below giving a little history to you for the song. I think it can deepen your appreciation for this song. I know your reaction is going to deepen my appreciation for this song as well. Looking forward to your program, and congratulation on your Beatles journey! Hope to see more song from them by you!
I saw this when it was shown on TV here in the UK in September 1968, I was 9 years old and crazy about the Beatles. The man introducing them at the start is David Frost, a very famous interviewer who had his own chat show for many years. The little tune they play at the start of the video is the theme tune of The David Frost Show ! They then sing a bit of It's Now Or Never by Elvis Presley beore Paul starts singing Hey Jude.
WIthout. knowing the story behind the lyrics (which many others have graciously written comments to provide the context of the story that this is about one of the Beatles' young sons, Julian Lennon, 5 year old son of John Lennon), you give an excellent analysis of the emotional advice of "uncle" Paul McCartney, writer and lead singer of the song, in the sad wake of his parent's divorce, to "take a sad song, and make it better". Nicely done analysis. Now that you've read the comments and know the story behind the song, you can really appreciate the emotional impact of this song, though by your reaction I can see you've already picked that up at the level of the heart.
Killer tune from the Greatest band of all. Liking that cute, sweet smile. Liking your style a lot. Your the picture of loveliness. Thanks for sharing some real emotions. Such beautiful tears.... From a special place inside your warm and tender heart. Never change, darling..... Don't ever become jaded or harden your heart. Guard her well. Never change a thing. Your special just as you are. Wonderful to listen to that soft, and super sexy accent. See ya on the next. Peace and Happiness to you and yours from the mountains of East Tennessee. U.S.A.. Later, Love.
Congrats on the rite of passage! You are now officially a reactor of good taste. It wasn't until you started crying that I noticed you have these irreverent cat ear headphones. Just absolutely perfect, it's the sort of detail that John Lennon would have liked.
In this version of the song, they sing, "Take a load off, Fanny, and put the load right on me" which is from the song "The Weight" which you should check out. It was done by a group called "The Band" which used to be Bob Dylan's backing band. The best version of "The Weight" is performed by The Band and The Staples Singers.
One explanation of this song that I've heard is that "Jude" was a reference to Julian Lennon, John's son from his first marriage to Julia. Around the time in which this song was developed and recorded, John left his first wife Cynthia, Julian's mother, for Yoko Ono (who obviously was the love of John's life). The reports I've seen and heard over the years suggest that this song was meant to comfort Julian during this tumultuous time. I don't know if Lennon was aware of this possible interpretation of the song, but he certainly participated enthusiastically in this public performance of it.
The song started out like that but, like many great songs, by the time it was finished, it had taken on a meaning of its own. So, yes, it's a song to cheer up Julian Lennon, but it has relevance to many people's lives. It's a song about taking the risk of opening yourself up to love; a song about being bold in declaring your love for someone; and may mean all sorts of other things to other people.
@@jimfrederick3907 I didn't think you were limiting the Beatles to those 4 albums I was just saying that sgt pepper in particular has at least one crappy song
