The Story Behind The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” and the Heartbreaking Reason Paul McCartney Wrote It
More than half a century after becoming one of The Beatles’ biggest hits, “Hey Jude” remains closely tied to a deeply personal moment in John Lennon’s family life.
Released in 1968, the song was not initially included on a Beatles album. Although credited, like many of the band’s compositions, to Paul McCartney and John Lennon, the original idea came from McCartney.
And the person he had in mind was John’s young son, Julian Lennon.
“Hey Jude” began as “Hey Jules”
At the time, John Lennon had separated from his wife, Cynthia Lennon, as his relationship with Yoko Ono developed. McCartney felt particularly concerned about what the breakup meant for Julian, who was still a child.
Years later, McCartney recalled to GQ that inspiration struck while he was driving to visit Cynthia and Julian.
“John and his wife Cynthia had divorced,” McCartney explained. “And I felt a bit sorry for their son, who was now a child of a divorce.”
During the drive, McCartney began forming a song intended to reassure Julian that he would get through the upheaval surrounding his family.
“I started this idea, ‘Hey Jules, don’t make it bad, it’s gonna be OK,’” he recalled. “It was like a reassurance song.”
After visiting Cynthia and Julian, McCartney returned and continued developing the track. Eventually, “Jules” became “Jude,” a name McCartney said he preferred.
“Hey Jude” became one of The Beatles’ defining hits
The emotional origins of the song ultimately produced one of the most successful recordings of The Beatles’ career.
Despite running for more than seven minutes — an unusually long duration for a major pop single at the time — “Hey Jude” became a huge commercial success.
The song spent nine weeks at No. 1 and became the first single in music history to enter the Top 10 during its first week of release.
Its influence continued long after The Beatles recorded it, with artists including Wilson Pickett and Elvis Presley later recording their own versions.
Julian Lennon didn’t initially know the song was about him
For Julian, however, “Hey Jude” carried a significance that went far beyond its chart achievements.
He did not initially realize that McCartney had written the song with him and his parents’ separation in mind.
Julian later recalled McCartney explaining that he had been thinking about what the young boy was experiencing and what he would have to face as his parents separated.
“Paul and I used to hang out quite a bit – more than Dad and I did,” Julian said.
Looking back at photographs from his childhood, Julian noticed something particularly poignant: there appeared to be more images of him spending time and playing with McCartney than with his own father.
His relationship with John was complicated, and Julian has acknowledged that he has never been particularly eager to uncover every detail about how his father behaved toward him during those years.
That history has given “Hey Jude” an enduring emotional weight for Julian.
Even decades later, hearing a song written by one of the most famous musicians in the world specifically to comfort him as a child can still catch him off guard.
“It surprises me whenever I hear the song,” Julian admitted. “It’s strange to think someone has written a song about you. It still touches me.”