Paul McCartney's Annotated 'Hey Jude' Lyrics and RIAA Gold Record Offered at M.S. Rau for $595,000
M.S. Rau has put up for sale a handwritten lyric sheet of "Hey Jude," the iconic Beatles song from 1968, complete with annotations by Paul McCartney, at a price of $595,000. This document showcases McCartney's revisions, including the famous closing line, “Remember to let her under your skin, then you'll begin to make it better,” plus notes on tambourine and vocal parts. It was transcribed with the help of Mal Evans, the band's road manager. When it debuted in summer 1968, its 7-minute length worried producer George Martin about radio playability, yet it ended up dominating the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks. Initially written for John Lennon's son, Julian, it was later renamed to Jude. The Beatles continued to record until August 1969, with "Let It Be" being their last single, released in 1970.
Key facts
- Paul McCartney's annotated "Hey Jude" lyrics and an RIAA Gold Record are offered at M.S. Rau for $595,000.
- The lyric sheet contains revisions by McCartney, including the closing line and cues for tambourine and vocal groupings.
- Mal Evans, the Beatles' road manager and studio assistant, collaborated with McCartney on transcribing the working lyrics.
- "Hey Jude" was released in summer 1968 and is 7 minutes and 11 seconds long.
- Producer George Martin warned that radio DJs would never play a song of that length.
- The song topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for nine consecutive weeks.
- "Hey Jude" was one of the Beatles' first releases on their Apple label.
- McCartney wrote the song for John Lennon's son Julian after his parents split, originally calling it "Jules" before changing it to Jude.
- The Beatles continued recording together until August 1969, with their final single, "Let It Be," released in 1970.
Entities
Artists
- Paul McCartney
- George Martin
- Mal Evans
- John Lennon
- Julian Lennon
Institutions
- The Beatles
- M.S. Rau
- RIAA
- Apple Records
- Billboard
- Galerie Magazine