A 1968 Beatles single written by Paul McCartney for John Lennon's son Julian, with a sustained four-minute coda built on a repeated "na na na" refrain.
Composition
Hey Jude was written by Paul McCartney during a 1968 drive to visit Cynthia and Julian Lennon following the breakdown of John Lennon’s first marriage. The song’s working title was “Hey Jules.”
Recording
The recording features a sustained four-minute coda built on a repeated “na na na” refrain and a thirty-six-piece orchestra arrangement. At seven minutes and eleven seconds, it was among the longest singles to receive U.S. mainstream radio rotation.
Reception
Released as a single in August 1968, Hey Jude reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and held the position for nine weeks, then the longest run of any Beatles single at the top of the chart.
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Hey Jude starts with H and ends with E. Browse other songs along the same letter.
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