What does Hey Jude mean?

Beatles: Hey Jude Meaning

Album cover for Hey Jude album cover

Song Released: 1968


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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. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Mar 21st 2017 !⃝

    For goodness sake, it's about John's son. Paul did not write it for John Lennon and it isn't about drugs. This same thing happened with "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and that was about a drawing.
    Julian was going through hard times and Paul wrote him a song telling him not to give up and to try and be open to Yoko. It's original title was "Hey Jules" but McCartney changed it to what it is now.
    On hearing the song, Lennon thought it was for him. He was too caught in his own ego that he couldn't realizes by the reference of the name who it was really for.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Aug 24th 2006 !⃝

    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.

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Jul 15th 2007 !⃝

    Ok....yes it IS about Julian...i think we get that part...but it is saying several things 1. don't blame your mom 2. don't blame yourself 3. love yoko and 4. (which no one seems to get) DON'T BE AFRAID TO LOVE!! he's saying life is best for a man if he has a woman to love in his life...let her into your heart let her under your skin (as in you are so close you are practically the same person) and that "the movement you need is on your shoulders" I think is about letting her inspire you b/c a movement is a part of a song...for whoever was wanting to know

  4. anonymous
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    Nov 2nd !⃝

    There were rumors that Lennon had hooked up with the Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein during a 1963 vacation to Spain, which inspired the 1991 film The Hours and Times. “When they came back, tons of reporters were asking, ‘Did you do it, did you do it?’ So he said, ‘I did it,’” said Ono. “Isn’t that amazing? But of course he would say that.”

    “John and I had a big talk about it, saying, basically, all of us must be bisexual. And we were sort of in a situation of thinking we’re not [bisexual] because of society. So we are hiding the other side of ourselves, which is less acceptable... I think he had a desire to [have sex with other men], but I think he was too inhibited. No, not inhibited. He said, ‘I don’t mind if there’s an incredibly attractive guy.’ It’s very difficult: They would have to be not just physically attractive, but mentally very advanced too. And you can’t find people like that.” - Yoko

    I think this song is a song for John Lennon from Paul telling him to take a chance and go for Yoko -

    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.
    Hey Jude, don't let me down.
    You have found her, now go and get her.
    Remember to let her into your heart,
    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.
    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, oh.
    Na na na nananana, nannana, hey Jude...

  5. anonymous
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    Jul 3rd 2021 !⃝

    I hear a step by step instruction on shooting heroin.And as Jude let's the drug flow the elation begins in earnest in the song and then Paul let's Jude know that it's okay to do it it helps you to cope plus:Jude...there's no coming back.

  6. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Dec 31st 2019 !⃝

    Gee, "the minute you let it under your skin then you begin to feel better"; "so let it out and let it in" ( let the blood in and out of the syringe to get every drop of heroin, aka milking the syringe. Bueller? anyone?). Oh no it can't be about heroin, and Lucy in the sky with diamonds wasn't about LSD.

  7. anonymous
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    Sep 22nd 2019 !⃝

    Sorry, Friends. Of course the cover story from Paul was that the song was about Jules Lennon. The band had already caught a lot of sh** from their many songs about drugs to that point. Consider: Jules had just turned 5 when the song was written. Do you seriously think that: "The minute you let her under your skin, then you begin to make it better" if meant to comfort a 5-year old boy trying to deal with his parents' breakup? Seriously?! What the he** are those words supposed to mean to a 5-year old boy, or even a 27 year old man, as John was at the time. There is only one interpretation of these lyrics, and if you've ever done heroin and listened to song there'll be not the slightest doubt about what the lyrics mean. Besides, the Beatles' lyrics were often designed to be a riddle that kept their fans guessing. What do the words "strawberry fields forever" actually mean? Or "I am the walrus"? These words refer to altered states of consciousness, or, another way of saying this, is that these words become much clearer when one is in a state of altered consciousness.

  8. anonymous
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    Jul 12th 2019 !⃝

    The song is about Bob Dylan. Dylan is a Jew, thus the word `Jude`. It is an insulting song. McCartney was telling Dylan to shoot his drugs and write his lame songs. Take `her` into your heart and under your skin, go get `her`, the movement you need is on your shoulder, let it out and let it in. Take a `sad` song (not boo-hoo `sad`, but crappy `sad`), and make it better.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  9. anonymous
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    Jun 23rd 2019 !⃝

    Paul explains his meaning.... He was comforting a precious child... God knows, he needed it♥️ Can’t you people ever just, accept what a person says? All you need is the author’s explanation !!!!!

  10. anonymous
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    Mar 21st 2019 !⃝

    More popular than Jesus
    "We're more popular than Jesus" was a remark made by the Beatles' John Lennon during a 1966 interview, in which he argued that Christianity would end before rock music. He added that "Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It's them twisting it that ruins it for me." His opinions drew no controversy when originally published in the United Kingdom, but angry reactions flared up in Christian communities when the comment was republished in the United States five months later.Wikipedia

  11. anonymous
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    Mar 21st 2019 !⃝

    In the Holy Bible; King James Version 1611; The General Epistle Of Jude before the Book Of Revelation:

    Verse 15: To execute judgement upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

    John Lennon stated: “We’re more popular than Jesus.” Blasphemy.

  12. anonymous
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    Jul 30th 2018 !⃝

    I'll apologize in advance, but I was always very certain it pertained The sexual act. Go under her skin and make it better! Better!! BETTER!!! culminating in an orgasm.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  13. anonymous
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    Apr 19th 2017 !⃝

    I always thought it was about St. Jude the Patron Saint of Lost Causes.

    The old cowboys would meet someone on horseback and greet with "Hey Jude"

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  14. anonymous
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    Dec 27th 2016 !⃝

    It was originally inspired by John's son, Julian, but as the song developed it began to relate to Paul's growing relationship with Linda Eastman who he'd only started dating at the time. He is literally saying, you've found her, so go and get her! In a way it could also be about the loss of his partner, John to Yoko Ono, but magnanimously saying to John, 'ok, I know she's pulling us apart but if she's what you want then go and get her. It's basically a song about finding something that feels right and then following through. I believe he's referring to three individuals, especially John, hence the lines:

    "So let it out and let it in, hey John, 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.

  15. anonymous
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    Jul 25th 2015 !⃝

    Hey Jude is 100% a song about the use of heroin.....Quotes, references, stories by the Beatles to the press are intentionally misguided, as is "Hey Jude" by Paul telling folks that this song is about Julian Lennon....the Beatles were the masters of the "put down and the put off".....(people who believe the Beatles' explanations of their songs are the same one who believe "Lucy in the Sky" is a song about a childs dream and not drugs)

    "Let it out and let it in"...."the minute you let it under your skin, then you begin to feel better". A direct reference to shooting heroin.

  16. Phaidaux
    click a star to vote
    Sep 5th 2014 !⃝

    I always thought that the song was one of hope for post WW2 jews. 'Jude' which was short for 'Juden' in Germany where the band spent a long time. In that context it makes perfect sense!, 'Her' being 'Love'... This theory might be WAY out there but it's how i've always heard the song!

  17. anonymous
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    Jul 3rd 2014 !⃝

    Most of you are spot on! It was for Julian to ease his pain from Paul in re to Julian's father & mother's separation.

  18. anonymous
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    Apr 16th 2014 !⃝

    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
    Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah yeah"
    I could see the meaning in two different ways.. (1)exhorting/comforting and
    (2)sex.
    No offense. That's how I understood.
    I like this song very much. Its a wonderful number!

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