It’s hard to believe this iconic Beatles song isn’t quite 60 years old yet, because it seems like we’ve been singing it since the dawn of time. The legendary anthem “Hey Jude” was released on this day, August 26, an incredible 57 years ago in 1968 — and the story behind the classic track still resonates today.
“Hey Jude” was a non-album single for the group, meaning it did not appear on any of the band’s studio records. It was written by Beatles bassist Paul McCartney and credited to both he and Beatles guitarist John Lennon as part of their Lennon-McCartney songwriting partnership.
The song was actually the first track released on the group’s Apple Records, founded in 1968, and marked the first of four singles released by artists on the label to promote its founding. The composition was a No. 1 hit in many countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, where the track was also the year’s top selling song. It ended up snagging the Billboard Song of the Year Award that year and the brand named it the 10th biggest song of all time in 2013.
As for the story behind the beloved anthem, it’s a really sweet and touching one that still means a lot to this day. McCartney was inspired to write the song following Lennon’s separation from his then-wife Cynthia Lennon. Lennon left his wife for Japanese artist Yoko Ono, which left a lasting impression on his and Cynthia’s son, Julian Lennon.
McCartney went to visit the mother and her son in the wake of the split, as Cynthia was previously part of their overarching friend group in Liverpool, England before the band became famous and thus they had a history. The musician wrote a song for Julian on the ride to their home, which was called, in this first iteration, “Hey Jules.”
The song was meant to comfort Lennon’s son in the uncertain time, and to encourage him to find his own way in love. How did it go from Jules to the iconic Jude? Once McCartney decided to bring the sweet song to the band as a pitch to release it, he made the call to
Here’s to another 57 years of Jude taking a sad song and making it better.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.