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© 2026 Nadav (Nahdi) Lazar. Beatles music © Apple Corps. Fan-made – not affiliated with The Beatles or Apple Corps.

“In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

SongsPast MastersHey Jude
The Inner Light·Revolution
Hey Jude1968 · Past Masters
Past Masters album cover

Hey Jude

1968 · Past Masters

“Take a sad song and make it better”

McCartney's anthem written to comfort Julian Lennon during his parents' divorce. The seven-minute single builds from solo piano to a 36-piece orchestral singalong coda and became the longest #1 single of its era, the first release on the Beatles' new Apple label.
VinylCD

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This song is the only Beatles song to feature contrabassoon.

1968Contrabassoon
Year1968
AlbumPast Masters
Track25
Duration7:11 (longest #1 single at the time)
Songwriter(s)McCartneyCredited as Lennon–McCartney
Lead VocalPaul
RecordedJuly 29 – August 2, 1968
ReleasedAugust 26, 1968 (Single)March 7, 1988 (Past Masters)
Song familyPiano song

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Text304 tags

Motif

Real peopleFriendshipLoveWeatherAnatomyNostalgiaMusicSadness

Title

Person in title

Vocabulary

Positive toneLimited vocabularyCasual languageDense lyrics

Narrative

Second personFirst personConversationalImperative

Lyrical device

Anaphora

Rhyme type

Mosaic rhymeFeminine rhymeInternal rhymeExtrametrical rhymeIdentical rhymeHalf rhymePerfect rhyme

Song form

Verse-chorusAABA form

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)Standard choruses (1-3)Has outroHas coda

Section links

Outro based on verseChorus variationCoda based on verse

Repetition

Consecutive versesRecurring verseRecurring fade lineRecurring lineConsecutive line
Word cloud

Recurring words

begincoolmakingpainrefrainremembershouldersomeonesongstarta fooland makebe afraidcan makedon't bedon't makefeel theget hergo andgo outgonna breakher nowinto yourit init's justlet itlisten tomake itme downnot gonnaon yourout andso letsomeone tothat it'sthe painthen youto letwaiting foryou haveyou letyou needyou're notbetter better betterdon't let medon't you knowit out andout and getthat it's ato make ityou can makeyou need isdon't let me downdon't you know thatdon't you know that it's

Cover-shared words

badbetterbreakcarryfeelfoolfoundgetgoheartherheyhisitknowletlistenlittlemademakememinuteneednowohplayssadtakewaitingwellwoahworldwowyayeahyouyoura littleand getand letdon't youfound herit's aknow thatknow youlet metake athe worldto goto makewell youyeah yeahyou canyou feelyou knowyou wereyour heartwell you knowyeah yeah yeahyou know thatyou know youwell you know that

Lyric shape

[WORD] you'll[WORD] you'reby [VERB]for [ADV]for [NOUN]it [ADJ]it [WORD]who [VERB][VERB] for [NOUN][VERB] is on[VERB] it [ADJ][VERB] it [WORD][VERB] me down[VERB] you can[WORD] [WORD] you'lland [VERB] herand [WORD] youdon't [VERB] itdon't [VERB] thedon't be [ADJ]don't you [VERB]gonna [VERB] itinto your [NOUN]it [ADJ] [WORD]it [VERB] [NOUN]it's a [NOUN]on your [NOUN]out and [VERB]then you [VERB]to [VERB] herwere [VERB] toyou [VERB] heryou [VERB] isyou have [VERB]you were [VERB]you're [VERB] foryour [NOUN] [WORD][ADJ] [NOUN] and [VERB][NOUN] and [VERB] it[NOUN] you [VERB] is[VERB] to [VERB] her[VERB] to [WORD] [WORD][VERB] you can [VERB][WORD] [VERB] it [WORD][WORD] to [VERB] her[WORD] you [VERB] thea [ADJ] [NOUN] andand [VERB] it [ADJ]don't you [VERB] thatfor [ADV] you [VERB]not gonna [VERB] itto [VERB] it [VERB]you [VERB] that it'syou were [VERB] to[VERB] that it's a [NOUN][WORD] [VERB] a [ADJ] [NOUN][WORD] don't [VERB] me down[WORD] you [VERB] the [NOUN]don't you [VERB] that it'sthe [NOUN] you [VERB] heryou can [VERB] [WORD] [WORD][VERB] it [WORD] [WORD] [WORD] [WORD][VERB] it out and [VERB] it[WORD] [VERB] it [WORD] [WORD] [WORD]

Cover-shared shape

[ADV] you[NOUN] a[NOUN] and[NOUN] to[NOUN] you[VERB] a[VERB] for[VERB] her[VERB] his[VERB] is[VERB] it[VERB] me[VERB] that[VERB] the[VERB] to[VERB] with[VERB] you[WORD] and[WORD] out[WORD] to[WORD] youa [ADJ]a [NOUN]and [VERB]and [WORD]be [ADJ]can [VERB]don't [VERB]gonna [VERB]have [VERB]her [ADV]his [NOUN]it [VERB]so [VERB]the [NOUN]to [VERB]to [WORD]were [VERB]you [VERB]you'll [VERB]you're [VERB]your [NOUN]your [WORD][ADJ] [NOUN] and[ADV] you [VERB][NOUN] and [VERB][NOUN] to [VERB][NOUN] you [VERB][VERB] a [ADJ][VERB] her [ADV][VERB] his [NOUN][VERB] it [VERB][VERB] the [NOUN][VERB] to [VERB][VERB] to [WORD][WORD] [VERB] a[WORD] [VERB] it[WORD] [VERB] to[WORD] and [VERB][WORD] don't [VERB][WORD] to [VERB][WORD] you [VERB]a [ADJ] [NOUN]a [ADJ] [WORD]and [VERB] itcan [VERB] [WORD]don't [VERB] meto [VERB] itto [VERB] withyou [VERB] thatyou [VERB] theyou [VERB] youyou can [VERB][ADV] you [VERB] that[VERB] a [ADJ] [NOUN][WORD] [WORD] [VERB] ahave [VERB] her [ADV]the [NOUN] you [VERB]you [VERB] the [NOUN]you can [VERB] [WORD]

Rhyme scheme

ABCCBUnique rhyme scheme

Line length

Consistent line lengthsUnique line length

Distinctive word

anytimecolderfuckinghelljudejudyma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-mamovementna-nana-na-na-nana-na-na-na-nana-na-na-na-na-na-nana-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-naow-wowperformshouldersskinyeah-yeah-yeah-yeahyeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah

Music207 tags

Arrangement

Lead vocalsBacking vocalsElectric guitarAcoustic guitarLead guitarBass guitarPianoDrumsPercussionTambourineHandclapsViolinViolaCelloDouble bassTrumpetTromboneFrench hornFluteClarinetBassoonContrabassoonOther percussionContrabass clarinet

Instrument group

GuitarsWoodwindBrassOrchestralStringKeyboardsPercussion

Bass work

Stepwise bass line

Drum work

Prominent drum fills

Music genre

GospelBalladPopRock

Influence

Gospel influence

Vocal work

Belted vocalsScreamYeah vocalsVocal ad-libGroup vocalsSingalongVocal harmoniesScat singing

Melody

Appoggiatura

Tempo

Slow

Key

F major

Time signature

4/4

Song form

Verse-chorusAABABAAABA form

Sections

Standard verses (2-4)Standard choruses (1-3)Has outroHas coda

Section traits

Long chorusExtended outro/coda

Section links

Outro based on verseChorus variationCoda based on verse

Repetition

Consecutive verses

Section transition

V to II to I

Harmony

Perfect cadenceHalf cadenceSecondary dominantCircle of fifthsPlagal cadenceBorrowed chordJazz cadenceDouble plagalThree-chord trickParallel harmony

Composition

Tonic openingTonic endingAll major chordsVerse in ITonic verseChorus in ITonic chorus

Mode

IonianMixolydian

Chord type

majorminordom7min7slash chord6

Scale degree

II7iiii7IVVV7vi♭VII6♭VII

Chord degree

I–♭VII–IVI–IV–I–VI–♭VIIV–IV–I–IVIV–I–V♭VII–IV♭VII–IV–II–V–IV–V–II–V–V–I–IVV–VI–VV–I–IV–IIV–II–IVI–IV–VIV–V–II–IV–V–IIV–VI–V–I–IVIV–I–V–II–V–VIV–V–I–VIV–V–I–V–II–V–I–IV–VV–V–I–IVV–I–V–IV–V–I–IV–I–V–II–IV–V–I–VV–I–IV–V–I

Chord shape

C → CC → G → DC → B♭ → FC → F → B♭ → FC → F → B♭C → G → CC → FC → GC → B♭C → C → FC → F → C → GC7 → FC → G7C → C7C → G → D7C → G → G7 → C → FC7 → F → B♭C → DC → D7C7 → F7C → F → GC → D → GC → F → G → CC → F → C → FC → G → D7 → GC → D → G → DC → G → C → FC7 → F7 → B♭C → G → D → GC → C7 → FC → G → GC → D7 → GC → F → C → G7C7 → F → B♭ → FC → C → F → B♭C → G → G7C → F → C → F → B♭C7 → F → G7C → D → G → D → GC → G → C → F → GC → C → F → B♭ → FC → C7 → F → B♭C → D7 → G → D7C → C → F → B♭ → F → C → FC → F → B♭ → C → FC → F → G → C → GC7 → F → G7 → CC → G7 → C7

Chord literal

C → FF → CF → E♭C → CF → B♭B♭ → FC7 → FF → E♭ → B♭C → F → B♭B♭ → F → CC → C → FB♭ → C → FF → B♭ → F → CF → B♭ → CC7 → F7F7 → B♭B♭ → C7C → C7B♭ → C7 → FE♭ → B♭E♭ → B♭ → FC → C7 → FB♭ → C → F → CF7 → B♭ → C7C7 → F7 → B♭C7 → F → B♭B♭ → C
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Studio16 tags

Studio technique

Double tracked vocalReduction mixFade-out

Equipment

Gibson J-160ERickenbacker 4001STrident 8-track recorderSound Techniques consoleLudwig Super ClassicBechstein grand pianoSonic Blue Fender Stratocaster

Recording location

Trident StudiosEMI Studio 2Multi-studio recordingEMI StudiosExternal location

Session duration

Multi-day
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People13 tags

Unique personnel
Beatles onlyClassic formation
Line-up
John Lennon
Backing vocalsAcoustic guitarHandclaps
Paul McCartney
Lead vocalsBacking vocalsBass guitarPianoHandclaps
George Harrison
Backing vocalsElectric lead guitarHandclaps
Ringo Starr
Backing vocalsDrumsTambourineHandclaps
Uncredited
HandclapsStringsBrass
Songwriter
Paul McCartney
Producer
George Martin
Orchestral scoring
George Martin
Recording engineer
Ken ScottBarry Sheffield

Info29 tags

Release type

SingleA-Side singleSong on compilationSong on AnthologySong on Love

US release

Hey JudeIdentical release

Release mix

StereoMono

Label

AppleApple US

Publisher

Northern Songs

Recording type

Many takes (20+)

Song family

Piano song

Song type

Original

Duration

Very long

Chart performance

Top 40 UKTop 40 USNumber one USNumber one UK

Cultural impact

Widely coveredGrammy nominatedGrammy Hall of FameIvor Novello awardNME AwardPromotional video
Sources & references

Tags on this page are original analysis, transcribed and cross-checked against the fine work of others: Alan W. Pollack's “Notes on…” series, the Beatles Complete Scores (Hal Leonard), Mark Lewisohn's session histories, Ian MacDonald's Revolution in the Head, Dave Rybaczewski's Beatles Music History and Andy Babiuk's Beatles Gear for the instruments and studio equipment, and others besides – then verified by ear against the recordings. Full bibliography: Sources & thanks.

External entity links: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz recording · MusicBrainz work · Wikidata

Updated 2026-06-03

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Past Masters album cover
VinylCD

affiliate link – supports this wiki

Year1968
AlbumPast Masters
Track25
Duration7:11 (longest #1 single at the time)
Songwriter(s)McCartney
Credited asLennon–McCartney
Lead VocalPaul
RecordedJuly 29 – August 2, 1968
ReleasedAugust 26, 1968 (Single)March 7, 1988 (Past Masters)
Song family
Piano song
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