What does Hey Jude mean?

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Beatles: Hey Jude Meaning

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 report

    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 report

    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 report

    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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    Jul 3rd 2021 report

    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.

  5. anonymous
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    Dec 31st 2019 report

    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.

  6. anonymous
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    Sep 22nd 2019 report

    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.

  7. anonymous
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    Jul 12th 2019 report

    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
  8. anonymous
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    Jun 23rd 2019 report

    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 !!!!!

  9. anonymous
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    Mar 21st 2019 report

    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

  10. anonymous
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    Mar 21st 2019 report

    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.

  11. anonymous
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    Jul 30th 2018 report

    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
  12. anonymous
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    Apr 19th 2017 report

    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
  13. anonymous
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    Dec 27th 2016 report

    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.

  14. anonymous
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    Jul 25th 2015 report

    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.

  15. Phaidaux
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    Sep 5th 2014 report

    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!

  16. anonymous
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    Jul 3rd 2014 report

    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.

  17. anonymous
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    Apr 16th 2014 report

    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!

  18. anonymous
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    Aug 26th 2013 report

    This song to me could go either way, jude is or was a widely used word for jews, the lyrics fit the healing. Also about Julian so you see,what we could possibly have is a song about two things, a nation of people who needed healing and a young man who loved his father but despised yoko for taking him away, either way....Great tune.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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