What does Hey Jude mean?

Beatles: Hey Jude Meaning

Album cover for Hey Jude album cover

Song Released: 1968


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...

  1. anonymous
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    Jan 31st 2012 !⃝

    We could feel this art on its own, without reference to the history surrounding the artist. We could then see this song is about love and sex. Telling Jude to leave his lonliness, get her under his skin, go out and get her, the movement your need is "on your shoulder" (think anatomy). Let it out, and let it in. Very sexual. And finally, the climax: AHHH! This is not written to a child or for a child. Leave the factoids aside, consider the art on its own: SEX BABY!

  2. anonymous
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    Dec 1st 2011 !⃝

    I agree that it was written for jules but i believe it was later changed when they realized that by changing from jules to a different name you get a better sound and also a broader appeal for the times.The English/German translation of Jude is (he is a Jew)if taken into account could imply that they were making a social statement about moving forward and healing.

  3. anonymous
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    Sep 22nd 2011 !⃝

    Th song is about masturbation for the first time friends. I was a teenager In the 1970's and this was nearly banned in the airwaves in the Philippines by religious leaders. Listen to it carefully. The moaning and the jubilation in the end when they sang out of their lungs "nanananana".

    "Hey Jude, youl do, The Movement you need in on your shoulder"

    "Let het under your skin"
    Listen to it again and imagine Jude being told to masturbate for the first time. It became a hit and would not accept it is about masturbation song.

  4. anonymous
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    Aug 6th 2011 !⃝

    This song is quite obvious, it's about entering a new relationship after a really bad break up, and finding it hard or being very fearful ("don't be afraid") to trust and love again and let someone "into your heart". The narrator of the song is encouraging Jude to let this new woman into his life, believing that as soon as you begin to trust again and "let her under your skin", then Jude will begin to "make things better". It's all about trying to think positively again "take a sad song and make it better" and trying to let go of the past, refraining from the pain when the bad memories come back and trying to basically chill out and not think about the negative past and all the problems etc (don't carry the world upon your shoulders). The line "for well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool by making his world a little colder" is basically saying that it's foolish to avoid opening your heart again in fear of pain, because that will just lead to detriment.The narrator is just trying to communicate to Jude that it's a mental thing he needs to get over "the movement is on your shoulders" means that he needs to get his head together (head is on shoulders) and just snap out of it. He has to "go out and get her" love this woman and let her into his heart so that everything will get better and so that he won't lose the potential happiness she could bring him. The whole song is basically just saying don't be an idiot, let love in again or your heart will be closed forever, your world will become cold and you will never be happy. Of course it may fit with John Lennon's own context, but i think it was really just written to communicate to every listener that you will get heart but you have to learn to love again for your own happiness and wellbeing.

  5. anonymous
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    Jun 27th 2011 !⃝

    The Song (Hey Jude) was written for Julian Lennon.Paul wrote it during the divorce between John and Cynthia.(Hey Jude don't make it bad) don't make it harder than it is.Paul had layed a hint in the song.Paul also layed another hint in the song which was(remember to let her into your heart then you can start to make it better)let the new lady in his life (YOKO) into his heart

  6. anonymous
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    Jun 20th 2011 !⃝

    To the morons that say the song is about drugs and anyone that believes otherwise aren't real fans of The Beatles are the real idiots. Paul has said the song was written as a tribute to Julian Lennon after the divore of his parents. To all the retards that would disagree with Paul, I guess you tards know better than the guy who wrote it? Priceless!

  7. anonymous
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    Jun 15th 2011 !⃝

    You guys are soooo right paul mccartney was telling john lennons son to seek out heroine.........fairweather beatle fans believe everything they sing is connected to drugs

  8. anonymous
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    Jun 4th 2011 !⃝

    Paul McCartney was trying to save the beatles from breaking up, Paul seen it coming when Yoko Ono came in the picture.

    Hey jude don't make it bad play a sad song and make it better....Hey John don't let her come between us, keep writing some songs and the band will keep going.......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.......Hey John don't be afraid to loose Yoko the minute you let her
    under your skin meaning you let her force you to decide its the beatles or me

    it has nothing to do with drugs Paul was trying to keep the Beatles together.

  9. Dennis Ogden
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    Jun 2nd 2011 !⃝

    My grandfather, who was born and raised in North-West England (same area as the Beatles) explained to me the meaning behind "Hey Jude".
    Evidently back during the last 18th and early 19th century there were a number of travelling fairground/carny type groups touring England. In the north there were frequent clashes between the carny people and the local hooligans. At that time the local foot wear was very heavy studded clogs - deadly in a kicking competition. The rallying cry for the carny folk to call for help was "Hey Jude". Why these words I don't know, but that was my grandfathers explanation of the phrase.

  10. anonymous
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    Apr 25th 2011 !⃝

    As everybody knows, Paul wrote this song and dedicated it to Julian Lennon, the first child of John - the name turned from Jules to Jude for a matter of meter - as an encouragement during the divorce of the little boy's parents. Paul had the idea while driving to Lennon's house at Kenwood, where Cynthia had moved to with her child. He was very close to Cynthia and loved Julian almost like a father, and he was so sorry for the situation and so angry at John - basically because of his unhealthy relationship with Yoko Ono, that he, Ringo and George had always distrusted - that felt like he wished to be able doing something.
    Talking about the lyrics, Hey Jude is, in my point of view, an invitation not to let everything flow and to stand up as things get harder, going on standing on your own feet but now trying to appear stronger than you really are.

    "Don't make it bad
    Take a sad song
    And make it better.
    Remember to let it into your heart
    Then you can start to make it better"

    This celebrated verse means, to me, that you should get on with what life throws at you - in this particular case, for Julian, the divorce of his parents; you don't have to sit around wishing you could do something to change things, wishing they had gone another way. You have to take what you've got - even a sad song - and "make it better", trying to find the good and the beauty in it, living it with not only acceptation, but also with strenght and wisdom. Because you can't choose nor manipulate your fate, so you'll have to try to be happy with what you have.
    I think the "remember to let it into your heart" line means that things you go through in life, especially the bad ones, are something you have to treasure forever, because they made you stronger and will keep doing it every day.

    "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."

    Here Paul assumes some kind of figure of a father who talks to his son about love, and how to get by when it comes to it. He still incites him to do his best not to stand in the corner, to go there to the girl of his fancy and take a chance, not thinking 'What if she doesn't like me, am I right enough for her?'. He also says that love will make his life better, because when you find love and let that person really become a part of you, that's the moment when everything lights up.

    "And any time you feel the pain
    Hey Jude, refrain, don't carry the world
    Upon your shoulders.
    For well you know that is a fool
    Who plays it cool by making his world
    A little colder."

    But when pain comes to show, you don't have to hide it away from the world, showing your hardest shell and claiming to stand it all by yourself, not to admit you need somebody else's help. When you realize it's all too much for you, you need to stop and wait, it's alright to be weak sometimes. It's not good that you try to carry everything when you know you can't do it all alone.
    And then, I have always thought, there is a reference to John's attitude, which is now a negative example of a man who tries to get his world colder not to feel his pain, and doesn't let anybody in.

    "Don't let me down
    You have found her
    Now go and get her"

    Here it goes as the second verse: Paul invites little Julian to face up life and love, to take a shot when the perfect person comes to your door, to go there and "get her", because there's nothing you can't really do in life, it's all up to you.

    "So let it out or 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 shoulders."

    This chorus has always sounded to me like "Come on, now spread your wings and learn to fly, it's your moment". He wants to say that you don't really need nobody else but you, when you know you're grown up enough to stand alone on your stage to "perform". Not forgetting that you'll have to stop when you run into some trouble. The last two lines basically say that life can you can live actively your life, making your own decisions, and there are no excuses to hesitate, it's all up to you; if you decide that you can make it, you will, you only have to know it.


    Eventually, this song is not only a solicitation for Julian to try to get through this situation, but also a lesson for every other kind of trouble you might get into all through your life.

  11. Coral Yarin Lazarof
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    Apr 11th 2011 !⃝

    I think that this song (which Paul wrote) is to cheer up Julian Lennon and making him being friendly and to get closer to Yoko.

  12. anonymous
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    Apr 7th 2011 !⃝

    Anyone who thinks this song is about masturbation or heroin needs to stop living in the gutter and actually recognize good music.This song was written for Julian. The original lyrics were "Hey Jules" but it didn't fit with the flow of the song. Jeez people, get your minds out of the gutter!

  13. anonymous
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    Mar 15th 2011 !⃝

    Am I the only one who sees "Hey Jude" as a paean to the Jewish community in the aftermath of the holocaust? Jude is a shortened reference to the people of Judea. Yes, there is also the Epistle of Jude as author of the New Testament. However, the lyrics would seem to fit the sad plight of the Jewish people from the diaspora to the present.

  14. anonymous
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    Feb 23rd 2011 !⃝

    I, ve got you "UNDER MY SKIN" by Frank Sinatra. :-) Same old expression but just subtle :-)
    Anyway bravo for the beatles !!! Made a cosmic hit even if there was sex meaning here!!!!

  15. anonymous
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    Feb 19th 2011 !⃝

    I think it's about masturbation you know let her under your skin thats like asking to be fucked

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway



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