BEATLES | rollingstonestop20

"Hey Jude"- #8

Released- 1968

This song was originally written by Paul McCartney in response the John Lennon’s divorce and it is at least partly written to console his son Julian. This song is an uplifting song that encourages the listener to improve their sad situation. He calls them to “take a sad song and make it better” and to allow the full expression of their emotions by letting “her into [their] heart.” McCartney further encourages the listener to not try to bear the burden of the situation and to not try to “play it cool” as it makes their “world a little colder.” The message of the song can be summarized in the final verse when McCartney tells Jude to “let it out and let it in”, meaning that they should allow these emotions to work through them and not allow it to possess them.

Themes: Heartbreak, Strength, Relationships, Growth

"I Want to Hold Your Hand”- #16

Released-1963

This song is the best-selling Beatles single in the United States. This song is about love.

The Beatles came to the US one week after finding out that this song had hit #1 in the US. This song hit #1 in the US because during the 1960’s people wanted to hear a tune that was apolitical yet appealed to the daily lives of people. This love song did just that “Oh please say to me, You'll let me be your man” is a simple line that a man might say to a woman he is interested in; singing about love is all that it took to sell to people of the 1960s because of the ideas of sexual freedom and humans being relational beings.. McCartney wrote this song along with his girlfriend’s brother in their basement one day. Originally McCartney was trying to write a single for his girlfriend’s brother to play for himself; the song became the lead way into the US.

Themes: Love, Sexual Freedom, Relationships

“Yesterday”- #13

Released- 1965

This song is a melancholy song about the break-up of a relationship. McCartney laments for yesterday when he and his love were together, before she left because of something he said. The song depicts the man longing for his old love, “yesterday, love was such an easy game to play… now I need a place to hide away.” The song continues to discuss the confusion that the singer is trying to discern while wrestling over what he said to her that made her go away, “Why she had to go I don't know she wouldn't say, I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday.” This relational song embedded itself

into its listeners, becoming one of the most covered pop songs of all time.

Themes: Relationships, Break-ups, Love

“Let It Be”- #20

Released-1970

If one were to listen to this song one time, they would probably understand that the message of the song is to “Let It Be”. One would agree that this could apply to all kinds of scenarios and circumstances in life. From this narrow perspective, the song means just that- everything will be okay despite the trials one is enduring in the moment. But if one were to listen to this several times and studied the lyrics they would find another deeper reference. Religion is an important reference because “When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me” Mother Mary is referring to the mother of Jesus Christ, who is seen in the Catholic faith as a prestigious individual. The idea is that one should seek motherly council or seek the Church who is able to pray directly to Mother Mary.

Themes: Religion, Contentment