anavrin April 12th, 2005 01:04AM  

Originally titled "Hey Jules," This song was written by McCartney during Lennon's divorce to help comfort his son, Julian Lennon.

anonymous November 29th, 2005 03:34PM  

The first one is right. It was written for Julian.

anonymous December 7th, 2005 03:32AM  

Paul McCartney wrote it for Julian Lennon when John and his first wife were getting divorced. The "her" he is refferring to is Yoko Ono who John left wife no. 1 for. Plain and simple.

anonymous February 8th, 2006 04:54PM  

Okay, it's CLEARLY not about heroine...gosh.

anonymous March 30th, 2006 04:56PM  

The song was written for Julian Lennon during John and Cynthia's divorce. Paul wrote it while he was driving up to the Lennon's. He worked out the lyrics and melody in the car and the song was practicaly finished by the time he got there. The words were later changed from Jules to Jude.

anonymous April 9th, 2006 10:52PM  

This song was written for Julian Lennon, when John was divorcing Cynthia. The song, that was previously named "Hey Julian", had its name changed, and John used to joke around that Paul had written it for him instead of his son.

HelterSkelter May 6th, 2006 10:37PM  

Ok, first off the last poster wasn't Paul. Second this song is about Lennon's son Julian (written by Paul). Third, THIS SONG HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HERION. I'm sick and tired of hearing people ruin good songs like this and saying "oh man that's about drugs" sorry its not. The Beatles wrote many songs about drugs, for instance "Got to get you into my life" is an Ode to weed, but "Hey Jude" is a touching song that has no connection to drugs at all PERIOD. Enjoy!

anonymous May 24th, 2006 03:36AM  

I think everyone should get over the whole heroin thing!!
Hey jude is a clasic song about John Lennon's son Julian. The song was written to help him get over the divoice of his parents. The her could be his mum because jude could think it was is mums fault or it could be Yoko.

No herion.

anonymous May 27th, 2006 10:40AM  

Although the first person is right, there is more. The song was supposed to be "Hey Jules", which more applies to Lennon's son, Julian. Paul McCartney, however, just didn't think it sounded right. For this reason, McCartney changed it to Jude.

anonymous August 24th, 2006 01:10AM  

Alright..Well first off, this song was written for julian lennon during John and cynthia's divorce. Definitely not heroine.
"hey jude, don't make it bad"-don't make the seperation harder than it has to be.
"remember to let her into your heart, then you can start to make it better"-accept yoko, you may start to feel better.
"and any time you feel the pain, hey, jude, refrain
don't carry the world upon your shoulders"-possibly not to put the pressure onto yourself, the divorce isn't your fault.
"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"-let your feelings out, and try to welcome yoko.
You think someone is going to speak for you, but it's you that needs to make the decision to accept her...

Anyway, just what I think.

anonymous September 28th, 2006 07:08PM  

"Well, when Paul first sang 'hey jude' to me-or played me the little tape he'd made of it-i took it very personally. 'ah, it's me!' I said. 'it's me.' he says, 'No, it's me.' I said, 'check, we're going through the same bit,' so we all are. Whoever is going through that bit with us is going through it, that's the groove." the ballad of John and yoko, p. 50)

just a thought: you people who think it is about heroin--you are dumb. Your theory is based on a supposed (I would say coincidental) abbreviation.

There is no 'factual' answer that I have come across, however, the "hey jules" is the most sensible and believable of the scenarios.

I would say the large majority of songs of this nature (consolation/love songs) are not written for someone so much as about someone. The inspiration comes from someone you known to the artist, and the song is really what the artist has to say on the subject.

-an opinion in san diego

capitalist October 11th, 2006 07:07PM  

Well it's been a few months but I saw some interest (one poster's) in my 2 cents so here is some elaboration on my thought process. I too read the quotation a recent poster cited to, that when Paul played the song for John he said, "it's me, it's me!" and Paul said, "no, it's me." I do recognize the authors' own so-called interpretation but nevertheless as an English major I was trained to look beyond what the author says something is about even if he or she really believes it because once the artwork is released it is released for general consumption ("caviar to the general"), rejection, interpretation, mis-interpretation, etc. Nobokov comes to mind....

But I still think my theory holds, to wit, that notwithstanding Paul's alleged protestation, the song was written by Paul to john: we are the Beatles, for christ's sake! What is the matter w/you?!!! Be happy!!! You have a lot to be happy about!!!"

john (paraphrasing of course): "grumble, grumble, grumble. Paul just likes to make songs that people want to hear, sing along to, are enormously profitable, etc. Way too commercial; way too uncool."

but John did not recognize his own talent, which according to at least one author (albert goldman: the lives of John lennon (c. 1988 ny, an unauthorized biography), was based in large measure on an uncanny ability to plagiarize other songwriters' popular songs, but changing them enough to evade provable detection. John reportedly admonished george about this in the "my sweet lord" mis-hap.

Hence, "take a sad song and make it better." that is what Paul is telling John to do - like he used to do.

Don't forget that there can be intentional or unintentional ambiguity in any song or other work of art. Hell, that's what the nytimes will tell you is a sine qua non of acceptable "art." (they are idiots, I know).

"Her" is the "muse," i.E., john's creative talent. "under your skin" means let "it" (all the things in a normal person's life that trouble us) bother you -- do not run away from the "pain" this flesh is heir to (a little shakespeare there; cf. The bible). Rather, "take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing, end them." (same play by shakespeare -- can you tell which one?)

There is a cosmic choice to make by us all, but unfortunately making that choice is especially difficult for genii ("geniuses" for those of you in rio linda) who were and are blessed and cursed at the same time by their special gifts.

I do not claim to be one of them and so I will again retire into my chamber, just below a bust of Pallas, just above my chamber door, with the lamplight gloating o'er. "and my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor shall be lifted nevermore."

P.S. Yes, Shakespeare and Edgar Allen Poe are both uniquely comparable to the artistic creations of the band formerly known as the Beatles.

Adieu. A cap.

anonymous October 28th, 2006 09:05AM  

As many others have said, it was written by Paul in support of Julian Lennon during his parents marriage break up.I also agree with jenna220..It's sad that John could write stuff like "Beautiful Boy"(about Sean) but it needed Paul to write something in tribute to Julian!

anonymous January 24th, 2007 09:29PM  

to the guy who said about Lucy in the sky being about heroin as well, it could be just as the song hey jude could be but lucy in the sky with diamonds was said by the band to be about a picture lennons son did when he was little hence the weird colour of everything

though it could be about drugs and just covered up.
Maybe Hey Jude is about Cynthia or Julian about the divorce but also has a dual meaning for them about heroin.

anonymous February 10th, 2007 09:35PM  

Ok... Hey Jude is: 1. NOT about Heroin
2. About Lennon's son Julian
3. That post above was not Paul McCartney!

anonymous February 15th, 2007 12:41AM  

Actually Paul came up with the name jude because it was derived from jules (julian lennon) and it sounded more western. And yes it was written to comfort julian during his parents divorce. I don't know why so many people think it has to do with heroin. People are trying to share serious interpretations and then you just come up with that garbage. None of the beatles even used the drug. There's probably only about 5% of their songs or less that are about drugs or were inspired by drugs. You need to get lives.

anonymous April 20th, 2007 08:08PM  

Ok. I was just wondering....what does the line, "You're waiting for someone to perform with. But don't you know that it's just you....Hey Jude, you'll do." mean?

anonymous May 3rd, 2007 06:28PM  

Hey Jude is about Lennon's son Julian, but people can interpret songs any way they want to.

Just my opinion

anonymous May 12th, 2007 05:31AM  

Paul has said in the Anthology that he wrote it for Julian. He was in his mind talking to Jules "hey Jules, don't make it bad, take a sad song and make it better" meaning it will all be alright. "Jules" turned out to be a mouthful so he changed it to "Jude"

Paul's least favorite line "the movement you need is on your shoulder" was John's favorite line.

Boo :)

anonymous May 22nd, 2007 11:36AM  

Whoever said that Cynthia Lennon was John Lennon's sister, you're wrong. She WAS his wife.

And to all the others in here:
Well, I've heard that the song was written by Paul for John's son Julian, and that's what I think too.

And it REALLY annoys me that so many people always say that a lot of the Beatles' songs were about drugs. Some of them may be about drugs, but I absolutely don't think this one is about drugs. I just doesn't make any sense to me!