Own a Piece of Beatles History with Paul McCartney’s Annotated “Hey Jude” Lyrics
The 1968 manuscript will be offered alongside the RIAA Gold Record given to the band following the song’s release
When the Beatles released a 7-minute, 11-second ballad in the summer of 1968, producer George Martin warned radio DJs would never play a song that length. But the Beatles had themselves a hit, with the song going on to break records as it sat at the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks straight. Along with that song came an RIAA Gold Record, which now, alongside Paul McCartney’s annotated copy of the lyrics, is on offer at M.S. Rau for $595,000.
The lyric sheet offers a piece of McCartney history few will have had access to, as it contains the collaborative efforts of McCartney and the band’s road manager and studio assistant, Mal Evans, who transcribed the band’s working lyrics. McCartney worked in revisions, such as the closing line “Remember to let her under your skin, then you’ll begin to make it better,” and cues for tambourine, vocal groupings and other important pieces that brought the song together.
The song marked one of the band’s first releases on their Apple label, and today remains a profound piece of musical significance. McCartney originally wrote the song for John Lennon’s son Julian, “Jules,” after his parents split, but later changed the name to Jude. The band continued recording together until August 1969, with the final single, “Let It Be,” released in 1970.