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Line By Line The Beatles โ€“ Hey Jude Lyrics Meaning

The Beatles โ€“ Hey Jude Lyrics Meaning

You all must have listened to โ€œHey Judeโ€ at least once. However, you may not know the meaning behind the lyrics of the song โ€œHey Judeโ€ by The Beatles. This song has historical importance in the music industry. Today, weโ€™re going to try unraveling the secrets behind the lyrics of โ€œHey Judeโ€. Please walk with us through the article.

The original title of the song was โ€œHey Julesโ€, referring to the five-year-old son of John Lennon whose real name is โ€œJulian Lennonโ€. Paul McCartney had written the song to comfort Julian during the divorce of his parents, John Lennon and Cynthia Lennon. However, the song has been marked as โ€œa form of blessingโ€ by Lennon himself for his and his new wife, Yoko Ono relationship, from Paul McCartney.

Introduction: Hey Jude Lyrics

The new couple was touched by McCartneyโ€™s act and Lennonโ€™s previous wife, Cynthia, said she would always remember hisย โ€œgesture of care and concern in coming to see usโ€. However, the public reaction to the song didnโ€™t wane. It stayed as The Beatlesโ€™ best-performing U.S. single. According to Genius Lyrics, โ€œHey Judeโ€ is considered by many music critics as being one of the best songs of all time.ย 

Hey Jude Lyrics Meaning

Letโ€™s dissect the meaning behind the lyrics of โ€œHey Judeโ€ by The Beatles, section-wise.

[Verse 1]

Part I

The Beatles fans may hate me for saying this. However, โ€œJudeโ€ or โ€œJudasโ€ is a slang term for the drug โ€œHeroinโ€. The minute you let โ€œherโ€ under your skin, then you begin, to make it better. It all seems pretty straightforward to me, but Iโ€™ll leave the interpretation up to you guys filled with โ€œloveโ€ and โ€œaffectionโ€ for the band. Just read the lyrics, itโ€™s all pretty clear.

Trust me, I was shocked when I figured it out as well. On a side note, I do not support nor condone the use of any illicit street drugs. But I am a critical thinker with a mind highly geared toward analysis. Regardless, letโ€™s go with a concept where there are no drugs.

Part II

Julian was naturally feeling put out after his parents got separated. We see The Beatles as the guys who would be perfect in any relationship. However, the reality spectrum is nowhere closer to our speculations. John Lennon wasnโ€™t a great father despite being a great musician. After Lennon got separated from Julianโ€™s mother, apparently, Paul McCartney was the only person to check on Julian. Father Lennon was instead giving all of his love to his new wife, Yoko.

After having to experience the separation of his parents, Julian wasnโ€™t letting anyone except Paul into his life. Apparently, Paul used to check on him often and father Lennon used to get jealous of Julian rejecting his fatherโ€™s new relationship while giving importance to Paul McCartney in his life instead. After gaining Julianโ€™s confidence, Paul McCartney wrote in his lyricsย in a way, โ€œletting her into his heartโ€ which could refer to Julian giving Yoko a shot.

[Verse 2]

According to multiple fan theories, the second verse is dedicated to father Lennon, Mr. John Lennon, himself. Even though Paul was writing the song primarily for Julian, the second verse is undoubtedly dedicated to John! In this verse, Paul tells John not to feel bad for falling in love with someone else. He tells father Lennon that he should go out to get Yoko and pursue a new life with her.

However, the lines used in this verse can be seen as the conflict inside Lennonโ€™s subconscious mind. His conscious part was telling him to leave everything to pursue Yoko. Regardless, his subconscious part was telling him not to leave Julian and his mother. Or maybe, Paul himself is acting like Lennonโ€™s divided fanbase encouraging both of these concepts. The decision is Lennonโ€™s to make, of course.

Sadly, according to Vice, Julianโ€™s relationship with his father never recovered after the separation of his parents. John was accused of igniting domestic violence and getting drunk all the time. Even after John Lennonโ€™s murder, Julian said he doesnโ€™t want to know how he was treated by his father as a child. Apparently, John always came home drunk and Julian remembers spending most of his time with Paul than with his own father. Therefore, Julian says there was no love for him from his fatherโ€™s end when he was alive. So, technically his fatherโ€™s death didnโ€™t affect him, at all.

[Bridge 1]

Adding external elements of pain to oneโ€™s life might seem insignificant in the beginning. However, it slowly adds up and grows exponentially. In the lyrics of the first bridge of โ€œHey Judeโ€, Paul McCartney says, one should refrain from the act hurting him/her and take time out for oneself. One doesnโ€™t need to carry the weight of this cruel earth all alone. Sharing the burden with someone trustworthy can be really helpful for oneโ€™s mental health.

This section was probably dedicated to Julian. Since the then kid was in a miserable place after his parentโ€™s separation, Paul was suggesting Julian open up about the traumatic experience heโ€™s been going through. McCartney often used to tell John that only fools play it cool during such situations. Therefore, John Lennon was convinced, till his death, that the lyrics of โ€œHey Judeโ€ were written for him. However, he was giving the same suggestion to Julian as well.

[Verse 3]

In this verse, Paul tells John, now that John has found someone new to love, he should stay true to her. Paul is trying to ease the ongoing tension between Julian and John. The lack of intimacy had failed Johnโ€™s previous marriage. Therefore, Paul encourages John to look after maturity in a relationship. He should let his new love completely into his life so that the bond between them would remain strong.

[Bridge 2]

Following the separation, John Lennon wasnโ€™t yet ready to get back to music. Some theories say this separation in Johnโ€™s personal life caused the separation of the whole band. We may never know how true this fact is, but hey, itโ€™s a good point! In his lyrics, Paul has told John to let out all the hard feelings that have been refraining him from the music! In the end, itโ€™s your life, itโ€™s just you and only you. Donโ€™t feel bad for loving someone else. What a friend Paul was to John! It feels like โ€œYesterdayโ€ was when all these things happened in the world of The Beatles.

Conclusion: Hey Jude Meaning

Maybe, the lyrics of โ€œHey Judeโ€ is dedicated to both Julian as well as John Lennon. The song is going back and forth to both Julian and John. We might never know the truth! Regardless, let us know what you think is the meaning behind the lyrics of โ€œHey Judeโ€ by The Beatles in the comment section below. Did you like the points we made? Do you think Julian should forgive John? Let us know down below.

Read the meaning behind the lyrics of โ€œHey Judeโ€ by The Beatles on Genius in detail.

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