John Lennon’s Son Said The Beatles’ ‘Hey Jude’ Wasn’t About Him at First

John Lennon‘s son, Julian Lennon, famously inspired The Beatles’ “Hey Jude.” Julian feels that the tune wasn’t about him at first. Here’s a look at how his memories compare to Paul McCartney’s.

John Lennon’s son said The Beatles’ ‘Hey Jude’ is about his personal ‘crap’

During a 2023 interview with Esquire, Julian discussed the origin of “Hey Jude.” “Initially, I think the concept of the song was about Mum,” he said. Julian’s mother was Cynthia Lennon, John’s first wife. The couple divorced in 1968, the same year “Hey Jude” came out.

Julian said Paul later rewrote the song to be about him. “But then it came to me, and what the hell I was going to be dealing with later on in life,” he said. “[Paul] wasn’t wrong in all the crap that I’ve been through. It’s not been smooth sailing in any way, shape, or form. I’ve always put a brave face on for the most part, but it’s been a traumatic life. No question about that.” Julian dealt with his parent’s divorce, his father’s absence from his life, and later, John’s death.

John Lennon’s son on the benefits of getting old

The trauma didn’t break Julian. “I’ve worked my way through all those episodes and traumas,” he said. “I think that’s the saving grace about getting old — although I hate even using the word ‘old.’

“Age doesn’t mean anything to me,” he said. “Age, for me, as long as you’re pretty healthy and of sound mind for the most part, is about wisdom and experience and how things relate to you now and what’s important in life now.”

Paul McCartney wrote ‘Hey Jude’ because divorce can be hard on kids

In the 1997 book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now, Paul recalled writing “Hey Jude.” He had the initial idea for the song when he was going to see Cynthia and Julian following the divorce. Paul had been friends with Cynthia for a long time and he didn’t like that she was out of his life. He wanted to see how Cynthia and Julian were holding up. Paul revealed that he empathizes with children who have to deal with their parents divorcing, especially since children often blame themselves for their parent’s marital troubles.

Initially, the tune was going to be called “Hey Jules,” in reference to Julian. However, Paul felt that “Jude” sounded better than “Jules,” so he changed the song’s title. If Paul had kept the original title, the tune might have lost its universality. Listeners might have interpreted “Hey Jules” as a song meant for Julian and Julian alone rather than a general self-empowerment anthem.

Julian went on to become a musician in his own right. In 2022, he released an album called Jude. While Jude doesn’t include a cover of “Hey Jude,” the album’s cover depicts Julian as a child. It’s a pretty obvious reference to the origins of “Hey Jude.”

Paul was partially thinking about Cynthia when he wrote “Hey Jude” but the ballad went on to become a huge part of Julian’s image.