“Hey Jude” was released in 1968 by English rock band-the Beatles. It is one of four tracks that were released as singles and not for an album. It was written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon.
The lyrics are inspirational for a character named Jude, who has had some kind of discrepancy between herself and a friend. The lyrics are meant to motivate the character to find the person and come to an understanding rather than staying in the position that you’re in and not trying to make things better. The lyrics suggest a variety of ways the two can mend their relationship.
With Paul McCartney singing lead vocals you can never go wrong. His iconic voice puts the group’s signature sound on the record. There are sections where the entire group is singing parts of verses and of course the famous “nah nah nahs” throughout the song, especially the ending portion of the track which invites everyone to sing, including audiences who after a few bars will know how to chime in.
The instrumentation is classic Beatles-guitar, drums, bass and piano. With the piano you can really hear John Lennon’s contribution to the song, and building around it with other instruments makes the songs feel and sound like one of the bands greatest hits.
Overall, the song is a prescriptive type of performance that has the classic scenario of how to help a friend reach another friend. It depicts a common circumstance that most people in their life will find themselves in, where they need a little inspiration and some ideas on how to fix their relationships, move forward and make their lives better.