Happy Mother's Day

5.12.2007

Happy Mother's Day.
Especially to my Wife, my Mother, my Memere, and my Mother-in-law. Very special women that deserve celebration on a day like today. This Beatles song is dedicated to yor, and all the mothers out there.

You Are Listening Too . . .
Perhaps the most popular Beatles song of all time, Hey Jude. I know you have heard it a million times, but it is still perhaps the best song ever written by Paul McCartney, so much so that the rest of The Beatles gave it praise, even Lennon felt it was McCartney best song ever.

A rock ballad that was over 7 minutes long, very strange for a single at the time. Even though, the song remained number one in the US for 9 weeks, the longest ever for a Beatles tune. Also it is always listed in the top 10 of numerous greatest songs in Rock and Roll history, by numerous lists and sources.

The songs original title was Hey Jules. McCartney wrote it to comfort Julian Lennon, after finding out John Lennon and Cynthia Lennon were getting divorced. After John and Cynthia seperated, McCartney drove out to see them and give them the support of a friend. Julian and McCartney were very close, at times closer than John and Julian were. "We'd been very good friends for millions of years and I thought it was a bit much for them suddenly to be persona non gratae and out of my life," said McCartney. He composed the song on the way up to see them in the car.

One of the reasons the song is so beloved, and the reason I am using it for Mother's Day, is the subject matter is easily relatable. In fact, John Lennon thought McCartney wrote the song to him after his divorce, Hey John, and the lyrics easily fit that notion well too, Lennon's divorce followed by Yoko. Judith Simmons a friend of the band, also thought the song was about her and issues in her life, and you can even see the song relating to McCartney, being self cathartic in his failing relationship with Jane Asher.

The song itself is about the failings in life, the support and unrequited you get from friends and family, and picking yourself back up, highly appropriate for Mother's Day.

The song was recorded over two nights, with the final recording on a 8 track at Trident Studios (Abbey Road was still 4 track). The song then had an added orchestral section added, and The Beatles asked the members of the orchestra (all 36 of them) to also sing along with refrain and clap, which most did. Also strangely, Ringo, was not in the room for the begining of the master recording, but in the bathroom, and somehow managed to tip toe back into the room, to hit his drum right on cue. There are also a couple of Lennon exclamations around the 3 minute mark, that got accidently left on the record, no one seemed to notice him exclaiming "OH!" and "FUCKING HELL!" after he flubbed a backing vocal and they were left there.

The song was initally recorded during the White Album sessions but it was always conceived as a single and was paired with Revolution. The film also had a promotional music video, I will post below. It is a bit weird, no makeup, McCartney giving bedroom eyes to the camera, and a strange old man dancing around the set.

Lyrics printed for your conveniece.
Hey, Jude, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better

Hey, Jude, don't be afraid
You were made to go out and get her
The minute you let her under your skin
Then you begin to make it better.

And any time you feel the pain, hey, Jude, refrain
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders
Well don't you know that its a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder

Hey, Jude! Don't let her down
You have found her, now go and get her
Remember, to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better.

So let it out and let it in, hey, Jude, begin
You're waiting for someone to perform with
And don't you know that it's just you, hey, Jude,
You'll do, the movement you need is on your shoulder

Hey, Jude, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better

The Mood of Red Sox Nation
Back on the winning track again, Mood: Happy and 7 games up.

Malach's Quote/Video of the Day

I am Malach and I love my Mommy.