Released: August 26, 1968

Songwriter: Paul McCartney Lennon-McCartney

Producer: George Martin

[Verse 1: Paul McCartney]
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

[Verse 2: Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison]
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

[Chorus: Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison]
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 na

[Verse 3: Paul McCartney]
Hey Jude, don't let me down
You have found her, now go and get her
(Let it out and let it in)
Remember (Hey Jude) to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better

[Chorus: Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison]
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

[Verse 4: Paul McCartney & John Lennon]
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 (Whoa, fucking hell!)
Better better better better better better, oh

[Outro: Paul McCartney & Lennon/Harrison/Starr]
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Naa na na na na na na, na na na na, hey Jude
Naa na na na na na na, na na na na, hey Jude
Naa na na na na na na, na na na na, hey Jude
Naa na na na na na na, na na na na, hey Jude
(Jude Judy Judy Judy Judy Judy owwwww wowww)
Naa na na na na na na (Na na na), na na na na, hey Jude
(Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude)
Naa na na na na na na (Yeah yeah yeah), na na na na, hey Jude
(You know you can make, Jude Jude, You're not gonna break it)
Naa na (Don't make it bad Jude) na na na na na (Take a sad song and make it better), na na na na, hey Jude
Hey Jude, hey Jude wowwwwww
Naa na na na na na na, na na na na, hey Jude
Naa na na na na na na, na na na na, hey Jude
Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude
Naa na na na na na na, na na na na, hey Jude
Naa na na na na na na, na na na na, hey Jude
(Na na na na na na na na na na na na)
Naa na na na na na na, na na na na, hey Jude
Naa na na na na na na, na na na na, hey Jude
Naa na na na na na na (Make it Jude), na na na na, hey Jude
(Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)
Naa na na na na na na, na na na na, hey Jude
(Go listen to ya ma ma ma ma ma ma ma ma)
Naa na na na na na na, na na na na, hey Jude
Naa na na na na na na, na na na na, hey Jude

The Beatles

The Beatles are arguably the most famous, critically-acclaimed, and successful rock band of all time—certainly the preeminent group of the 20th century. They started out as four teenagers playing grimy basement clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg, but they progressed to become world-beating rock stars who are still influential to this day.

John Lennon first formed a skiffle group called The Quarrymen in March 1957. A fifteen-year-old Paul McCartney joined shortly thereafter, eventually inviting his friend George Harrison to audition for the band. After finally impressing John with his guitar skills, George was asked to join—but this juncture would be short-lived as John’s departure to college signaled the other quarrymen to go their separate ways.

By 1960, Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison had re-branded from ‘Johnny & the Moondogs’ to ‘The Silver Beetles’ at the behest of their new bass player, Stuart Sutcliffe. The name would eventually evolve into ‘The Silver Beatles’ by July of that year, before settling on ‘The Beatles’ come August—just in time for their trip to Hamburg with new drummer, Pete Best. Though club residencies in Germany would prove fundamental to the group’s progress as a whole, the tour turned out to be a blessing and a curse, following the deportation of a then-seventeen-year-old George Harrison, and the eventual tragic death of Stuart Sutcliffe.