Why “Hey Jude” Was The Most Iconic Beatles Song

The Beatles released plenty of unforgettable singles, but not every one of their 213 tracks was groundbreaking. Still, in 1968, they gave the world something truly special—“Hey Jude.” Between its heartfelt inspiration, record-breaking success, and even a bit of accidental brilliance, the story behind the song remains one of the most fascinating chapters in the band’s musical legacy.

As John Lennon himself once said, he didn’t use the word “masterpiece” lightly.

“Hey Jude” Was Paul McCartney’s Ode to Julian Lennon

Despite the title, the “Jude” in Hey Jude wasn’t actually named Jude—it was Julian Lennon, John Lennon’s son. Paul McCartney wrote the song to comfort Julian during his parents’ divorce. McCartney had grown close to the boy and, one day while driving, started singing a message of encouragement: “Don’t make it bad.”

“It was optimistic,” McCartney later said in Anthology. “A hopeful message for Julian. ‘Come on, man. Your parents got divorced. I know you’re not happy. But you’ll be okay.’”

What began as a simple pep talk soon evolved into one of the most emotionally resonant songs in The Beatles’ catalog.

John Lennon Thought the Song Was Really About Him

Interestingly, John Lennon believed the song wasn’t about Julian at all—he thought McCartney was secretly singing to him.

“If you think about it, Yoko [Ono] had just come into the picture,” Lennon once explained. “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. The words, ‘go out and get her,’ subconsciously, he was saying, ‘Go ahead. Leave me.’”

While that wasn’t McCartney’s intention, he acknowledged that working closely with Lennon often blurred those lines. Songs like “Two of Us” carried similar dual meanings—written one way, but interpreted another because of the depth of their creative bond.

The Song Broke Records and Made History

“Hey Jude” wasn’t just emotional—it was revolutionary. It became the very first single released on The Beatles’ own label, Apple Records, and what a way to begin. The track shot to the top of the charts in the U.K., U.S., Canada, and Australia, becoming their best-selling single—despite its unusually long runtime.

Producer George Martin recalled raising concerns about the song’s length:

“After I timed it, I actually said, ‘You can’t make a single that long.’ And John asked, ‘Why not?’ I couldn’t think of a good answer, really—except the pathetic one that disc jockeys wouldn’t play it. He said, ‘They will if it’s us.’ And of course, he was absolutely right.”

The Drum Delay Was an Accidental Bit of Magic

One of the song’s most striking features is how it builds—from McCartney’s solo piano to its soaring, extended “na-na-na” chorus. Ringo Starr’s delayed entrance adds a special touch—but it wasn’t planned.

In Many Years From Now, McCartney remembered the moment vividly:

“I started what was the actual take, and ‘Hey Jude’ goes on for hours before the drums come in. While I was doing it, I suddenly felt Ringo tiptoeing past my back rather quickly, trying to get to his drums. And just as he got there—boom, boom, boom. His timing was absolutely impeccable.”

He added:

“I think when those things happen, you have a little laugh, and a light bulb goes off in your head, and you think, ‘This is the take!’ And you put a little more into it. You think, ‘Oh, f***. This has got to be the take. What just happened was so magical.’ So, we did that—and we made a pretty good record.”

A True Beatles Masterpiece

From its origins as a song for a child to its accidental studio magic, Hey Jude embodies everything that made The Beatles extraordinary. It’s heartfelt, experimental, record-breaking, and timeless. More than five decades later, this masterpiece still feels just as powerful as the day it was first played.