Dylan had a consequential impact on the Fab Four in many ways, including launching their path to experimental and revolutionary fame by introducing them to the creative power of marijuana and, more directly, with his folk sound that ran throughout the group. Weed album from 1965, Rubber core. Arguably, however, the example he set with his heartfelt words was the most vital to their arc.

While Lennon and McCartney both endured indescribable hardships when their mothers died when they were young, this angle of writing allowed them to express themselves and, when they accepted this approach, to use as a vehicle to explore other deeply human themes, as both, despite individual complexities, were what we today call empaths.

One song where this compassionate essence really shines through is “Hey Jude,” one of McCartney’s defining songs for the Beatles. A non-album single released in August 1968, it was composed during a period of particular turmoil for the group, where Lennon had left his wife, Cynthia, for Yoko Ono. McCartney, like any good friend, wrote the song for Lennon’s young son, Julian, to encourage him to get over his parents’ very public divorce. In the track, originally titled “Hey Jules”, he expresses a positive attitude and suggests that the boy is doing his best to turn a sad situation into a happy one. It’s a specific moment, but it has universal significance.

From the lyrics to the music, which bursts into the upbeat coda “Na-na-na na” at the end, “Hey Jude” is a track that does the work for the listener, with its authentic themes and messages resonating well within the audience. beyond the world. limits of the time in which it was published. Yet in another display of his humanity, McCartney once revealed that he was “very concerned” that the song was terrible when they released it.

In April 1970, when The Beatles were over and McCartney was preparing to release his self-titled debut solo album, he spoke to rolling stone. During the discussion, he was asked if his new album would feature ballads in the vein of “Hey Jude” or “Let It Be.”

“Yes, I think so,” he replied. “I can never tell.”

He then explained why he was nervous about releasing “Hey Jude” because he just couldn’t decide if it was strong enough. “I was very worried when ‘Hey Jude’ came out just in case it wasn’t good,” he explained. “I wasn’t sure it was good. I can never tell. But I know that there are some very good songs on this record.

This may seem remarkable to the ordinary listener, but even great songwriters have times when they don’t fully trust their abilities. The Beatles were masters at this, and over the years their members have cast doubt on many of their best songs.

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