For well you know that it’s a fool/
Who plays it cool/
By making his world a little colder.

The Beatles “Hey Jude” is one of the greatest rock anthems of all-time. Perhaps a couple of Queen songs like We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions are in the same league  (though we are really splitting hairs…they are both great). “Hey Jude” was written by McCartney to Lennon’s son, Julian, as Lennon was going through a divorce.

The lyrics of The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” aren’t deep or complex, but I find them to be wisdom-filled and well-intentioned. The lyric above is great and then there is this gem:

Remember to let her into your heart/
then you can start to make it better.

It might sound quaint, but it lands hard. The song has a classic “Carpe diem” theme.

The most iconic part of “Hey Jude” is the communal outro which makes up about half of the song’s length. It is simply fun to sing and to hear McCartney go kind of crazy improvising during that part. We don’t hear much jamming on the piano in rock, but we get some here.

McCartney uses a relatively simple sounding melody and arraignment along with straightforward lyrics to create a carpe diem anthem. Ringo’s drums are done well. The times when the full band breaks into a harmony sound wonderful.

Hey Jude Lyrics

Hey Jude, don’t make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better

Hey Jude, don’t be afraid
You were made to go out and get her
The minute you let her under your skin
Then you begin to make it better

And anytime you feel the pain
Hey Jude, refrain
Don’t carry the world upon your shoulders
For well you know that it’s a fool
Who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder
Na-na-na, na, na
Na-na-na, na

Hey Jude, don’t let me down
You have found her, now go and get her (let it out and let it in)
Remember to let her into your heart (hey Jude)
Then you can start to make it better

So let it out and let it in
Hey Jude, begin
You’re waiting for someone to perform with
And don’t you know that it’s just you
Hey Jude, you’ll do
The movement you need is on your shoulder

Na-na-na, na, na
Na-na-na, na, yeah
Hey Jude, don’t make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her under your skin
Then you’ll begin to make it better
Better better better better better, ah!

written by Lennon/Mccartney