Hey Jude: The Beatles Song Paul Wrote to Comfort John’s Son

By Dan Cohen · Published 2026-06-27

Hey Jude, the Beatles’ 1968 single, has one of the tenderest origins in their catalog. Paul McCartney wrote it for Julian Lennon, John’s young son, who was caught in the middle of his parents’ divorce. McCartney drove to visit the family and started the song in the car to console the boy. It began as “Hey Jules” — he changed the name to Jude because it sang better.

A private comfort that went universal

What makes the story moving is how completely the song outgrew its occasion. A message meant for one frightened child became a piece of communal reassurance the whole world could step into. John Lennon reportedly thought parts of it were aimed at him; McCartney has said it was about Julian. Either way, its “take a sad song and make it better” spirit reads as comfort offered to anyone who needs it.

The coda that wouldn’t end

And then there’s the famous ending: a long, wordless, hands-in-the-air singalong coda that repeats and builds for minutes. It pushed the song past seven minutes — making it, at the time, one of the longest singles ever to reach number one in the US. The Beatles bet that audiences would happily sing the same refrain for four straight minutes. They were right.

What it measures like

On our scale it grows from gentle, intimate piano to a full, swelling, communal climax — a wide build that mirrors its journey from one-to-one comfort to everyone-at-once release. Full profile on its song page.

Hey Jude was released by the Beatles in 1968. The account of it being written for Julian Lennon (initially as “Hey Jules”) reflects McCartney’s widely repeated statements. No lyrics are reproduced.