The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With the… Read Full Bio ↴The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With the line-up comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they are regarded as one of the most influential bands of all time. The group was integral to the development of 1960s counterculture and popular music's recognition as an art form. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, their sound incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop in innovative ways; the band later explored music styles ranging from ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock. As pioneers in recording, songwriting and artistic presentation, the group revolutionized many aspects of the music industry and were often publicized as leaders of the era's youth and socio-cultural movements.
Led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, the Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over three years from 1960, initially with Stuart Sutcliffe playing bass. The core trio of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, together since 1958, went through a succession of drummers, eventually settling with Pete Best in 1960, who played with them for two years before being replaced with then Rory Storm & The Hurricanes drummer Ringo Starr in 1962. Manager Brian Epstein molded them into a professional act and producer George Martin guided and developed their recordings, greatly expanding their domestic success after their first hit, "Love Me Do", in late 1962. As their popularity grew into the intense fan frenzy dubbed "Beatlemania", the band acquired the nickname "the Fab Four", with Epstein, Martin and other members of the band's entourage sometimes given the informal title of "fifth Beatle".
By early 1964, the Beatles were international stars, leading the "British Invasion" of the United States pop market and breaking numerous sales records. They soon made their film debut with A Hard Day's Night (1964). From 1965 onwards, they produced increasingly innovative recordings, including the albums Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966) and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), and enjoyed further commercial success with The Beatles (also known as "the White Album", 1968) and Abbey Road (1969). In 1968, they founded Apple Corps, a multi-armed multimedia corporation that continues to oversee projects related to the band's legacy. After the group's break-up in 1970, all four members enjoyed success as solo artists. Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980, and Harrison died of lung cancer in November 2001. McCartney and Starr remain musically active.
The Beatles are the best-selling music act of all time, with estimated sales of 600 million units worldwide. They hold the record for most number-one albums on the UK Albums Chart, most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and most singles sold in the UK. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and all four main members were inducted individually between 1994 and 2015. In 2008, the group topped Billboard's list of the all-time most successful artists on the Billboard Hot 100. The band received seven Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, an Academy Award (for Best Original Song Score for the 1970 film Let It Be) and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards. Time magazine named them among the 20th century's 100 most important people.
Former Rolling Stone associate editor Robert Greenfield compared the Beatles to Picasso, as "artists who broke through the constraints of their time period to come up with something that was unique and original "... In the form of popular music, no one will ever be more revolutionary, more creative and more distinctive ..." The British poet Philip Larkin described their work as "an enchanting and intoxicating hybrid of African-American rock-and-roll with their own adolescent romanticism", and "the first advance in popular music since the War".
They not only sparked the British Invasion of the US, they became a globally influential phenomenon as well. From the 1920s, the US had dominated popular entertainment culture throughout much of the world, via Hollywood films, jazz, the music of Broadway and Tin Pan Alley and, later, the rock and roll that first emerged in Memphis, Tennessee. The Beatles are regarded as British cultural icons, with young adults from abroad naming the band among a group of people that they most associated with UK culture.
Their musical innovations and commercial success inspired musicians worldwide. Many artists have acknowledged the Beatles' influence and enjoyed chart success with covers of their songs. On radio, their arrival marked the beginning of a new era; in 1968 the programme director of New York's WABC radio station forbade his DJs from playing any "pre-Beatles" music, marking the defining line of what would be considered oldies on American radio. They helped to redefine the album as something more than just a few hits padded out with "filler", and they were primary innovators of the modern music video. The Shea Stadium show with which they opened their 1965 North American tour attracted an estimated 55,600 people, then the largest audience in concert history; Spitz describes the event as a "major breakthrough ... a giant step toward reshaping the concert business". Emulation of their clothing and especially their hairstyles, which became a mark of rebellion, had a global impact on fashion.
According to Gould, the Beatles changed the way people listened to popular music and experienced its role in their lives. From what began as the Beatlemania fad, the group's popularity grew into what was seen as an embodiment of socio-cultural movements of the decade. As icons of the 1960s counterculture, Gould continues, they became a catalyst for bohemianism and activism in various social and political arenas, fuelling movements such as women's liberation, gay liberation and environmentalism. According to Peter Lavezzoli, after the "more popular than Jesus" controversy in 1966, the Beatles felt considerable pressure to say the right things and "began a concerted effort to spread a message of wisdom and higher consciousness".
Other commentators such as Mikal Gilmore and Todd Leopold have traced the inception of their socio-cultural impact earlier, interpreting even the Beatlemania period, particularly on their first visit to the US, as a key moment in the development of generational awareness. Referring to their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show Leopold states: "In many ways, the Sullivan appearance marked the beginning of a cultural revolution ... The Beatles were like aliens dropped into the United States of 1964.
In 1965, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). The Beatles won the 1971 Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for the film Let It Be (1970). The recipients of seven Grammy Awards and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards, the Beatles have six Diamond albums, as well as 20 Multi-Platinum albums, 16 Platinum albums and six Gold albums in the US. In the UK, the Beatles have four Multi-Platinum albums, four Platinum albums, eight Gold albums and one Silver album. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
The best-selling band in history, the Beatles have sold more than 800 million physical and digital albums as of 2013. They have had more number-one albums on the UK charts, fifteen, and sold more singles in the UK, 21.9 million, than any other act. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the Beatles as the most significant and influential rock music artists of the last 50 years. They ranked number one on Billboard magazine's list of the all-time most successful Hot 100 artists, released in 2008 to celebrate the US singles chart's 50th anniversary. As of 2017, they hold the record for most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with twenty. The Recording Industry Association of America certifies that the Beatles have sold 178 million units in the US, more than any other artist. They were collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most influential people. In 2014, they received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
There are two holidays celebrated for the Beatles: Global Beatles Day on 25 June each year. On that date in 1967, the band performed "All You Need Is Love" on television. In 2001, UNESCO created World Beatles Day on 16 January each year. This date has direct relation to the opening of The Cavern Club in 1957.
Five asteroids, 4147 Lennon, 4148 McCartney, 4149 Harrison, 4150 Starr and 8749 Beatles are named after the Beatles.
Led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, the Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over three years from 1960, initially with Stuart Sutcliffe playing bass. The core trio of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, together since 1958, went through a succession of drummers, eventually settling with Pete Best in 1960, who played with them for two years before being replaced with then Rory Storm & The Hurricanes drummer Ringo Starr in 1962. Manager Brian Epstein molded them into a professional act and producer George Martin guided and developed their recordings, greatly expanding their domestic success after their first hit, "Love Me Do", in late 1962. As their popularity grew into the intense fan frenzy dubbed "Beatlemania", the band acquired the nickname "the Fab Four", with Epstein, Martin and other members of the band's entourage sometimes given the informal title of "fifth Beatle".
By early 1964, the Beatles were international stars, leading the "British Invasion" of the United States pop market and breaking numerous sales records. They soon made their film debut with A Hard Day's Night (1964). From 1965 onwards, they produced increasingly innovative recordings, including the albums Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966) and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), and enjoyed further commercial success with The Beatles (also known as "the White Album", 1968) and Abbey Road (1969). In 1968, they founded Apple Corps, a multi-armed multimedia corporation that continues to oversee projects related to the band's legacy. After the group's break-up in 1970, all four members enjoyed success as solo artists. Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980, and Harrison died of lung cancer in November 2001. McCartney and Starr remain musically active.
The Beatles are the best-selling music act of all time, with estimated sales of 600 million units worldwide. They hold the record for most number-one albums on the UK Albums Chart, most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and most singles sold in the UK. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and all four main members were inducted individually between 1994 and 2015. In 2008, the group topped Billboard's list of the all-time most successful artists on the Billboard Hot 100. The band received seven Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, an Academy Award (for Best Original Song Score for the 1970 film Let It Be) and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards. Time magazine named them among the 20th century's 100 most important people.
Former Rolling Stone associate editor Robert Greenfield compared the Beatles to Picasso, as "artists who broke through the constraints of their time period to come up with something that was unique and original "... In the form of popular music, no one will ever be more revolutionary, more creative and more distinctive ..." The British poet Philip Larkin described their work as "an enchanting and intoxicating hybrid of African-American rock-and-roll with their own adolescent romanticism", and "the first advance in popular music since the War".
They not only sparked the British Invasion of the US, they became a globally influential phenomenon as well. From the 1920s, the US had dominated popular entertainment culture throughout much of the world, via Hollywood films, jazz, the music of Broadway and Tin Pan Alley and, later, the rock and roll that first emerged in Memphis, Tennessee. The Beatles are regarded as British cultural icons, with young adults from abroad naming the band among a group of people that they most associated with UK culture.
Their musical innovations and commercial success inspired musicians worldwide. Many artists have acknowledged the Beatles' influence and enjoyed chart success with covers of their songs. On radio, their arrival marked the beginning of a new era; in 1968 the programme director of New York's WABC radio station forbade his DJs from playing any "pre-Beatles" music, marking the defining line of what would be considered oldies on American radio. They helped to redefine the album as something more than just a few hits padded out with "filler", and they were primary innovators of the modern music video. The Shea Stadium show with which they opened their 1965 North American tour attracted an estimated 55,600 people, then the largest audience in concert history; Spitz describes the event as a "major breakthrough ... a giant step toward reshaping the concert business". Emulation of their clothing and especially their hairstyles, which became a mark of rebellion, had a global impact on fashion.
According to Gould, the Beatles changed the way people listened to popular music and experienced its role in their lives. From what began as the Beatlemania fad, the group's popularity grew into what was seen as an embodiment of socio-cultural movements of the decade. As icons of the 1960s counterculture, Gould continues, they became a catalyst for bohemianism and activism in various social and political arenas, fuelling movements such as women's liberation, gay liberation and environmentalism. According to Peter Lavezzoli, after the "more popular than Jesus" controversy in 1966, the Beatles felt considerable pressure to say the right things and "began a concerted effort to spread a message of wisdom and higher consciousness".
Other commentators such as Mikal Gilmore and Todd Leopold have traced the inception of their socio-cultural impact earlier, interpreting even the Beatlemania period, particularly on their first visit to the US, as a key moment in the development of generational awareness. Referring to their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show Leopold states: "In many ways, the Sullivan appearance marked the beginning of a cultural revolution ... The Beatles were like aliens dropped into the United States of 1964.
In 1965, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). The Beatles won the 1971 Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for the film Let It Be (1970). The recipients of seven Grammy Awards and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards, the Beatles have six Diamond albums, as well as 20 Multi-Platinum albums, 16 Platinum albums and six Gold albums in the US. In the UK, the Beatles have four Multi-Platinum albums, four Platinum albums, eight Gold albums and one Silver album. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
The best-selling band in history, the Beatles have sold more than 800 million physical and digital albums as of 2013. They have had more number-one albums on the UK charts, fifteen, and sold more singles in the UK, 21.9 million, than any other act. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the Beatles as the most significant and influential rock music artists of the last 50 years. They ranked number one on Billboard magazine's list of the all-time most successful Hot 100 artists, released in 2008 to celebrate the US singles chart's 50th anniversary. As of 2017, they hold the record for most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with twenty. The Recording Industry Association of America certifies that the Beatles have sold 178 million units in the US, more than any other artist. They were collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most influential people. In 2014, they received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
There are two holidays celebrated for the Beatles: Global Beatles Day on 25 June each year. On that date in 1967, the band performed "All You Need Is Love" on television. In 2001, UNESCO created World Beatles Day on 16 January each year. This date has direct relation to the opening of The Cavern Club in 1957.
Five asteroids, 4147 Lennon, 4148 McCartney, 4149 Harrison, 4150 Starr and 8749 Beatles are named after the Beatles.
Hey Hey George
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ah Kansas City
Going to get my baby back home
I'm going to Kansas City
Going to get my baby back home
Well its a long long time too
My baby's been gone
Ah, Kansas City
Going get my baby one time
I'm going to Kansas City
Going get my baby one time
Its a just a 1-2-3-4,
5-6-7-8-9
Hey hey hey hey
(Hey hey hey hey)
Hey, baby
(Hey, baby)
Ooh now girl
(Yeah, yeah)
I said yeah now, huh
(Girl, girl)
Now now now now tell me baby
What's been wrong with you
Hey hey hey hey
(Hey hey hey hey)
Hey now baby
(Hey baby)
Ooh now girl
(Yeah, yeah)
I said yeah now, huh
(Girl, girl)
Now now now now tell me baby
What's been wrong with you
I said bye
(Bye bye bye bye)
Bye bye baby bye bye
(Bye bye bye bye)
So long
(So long so long)
Bye bye baby I'm gone
(Bye bye bye bye)
I said bye bye baby
Bye, bye, bye, bye
Bye now bye
(Bye bye bye bye)
Bye now baby bye
(Bye bye bye bye)
Going to get my baby back home
I'm going to Kansas City
Going to get my baby back home
Well its a long long time too
My baby's been gone
Ah, Kansas City
I'm going to Kansas City
Going get my baby one time
Its a just a 1-2-3-4,
5-6-7-8-9
Hey hey hey hey
(Hey hey hey hey)
Hey, baby
(Hey, baby)
Ooh now girl
(Yeah, yeah)
I said yeah now, huh
(Girl, girl)
Now now now now tell me baby
What's been wrong with you
Hey hey hey hey
(Hey hey hey hey)
Hey now baby
(Hey baby)
Ooh now girl
(Yeah, yeah)
I said yeah now, huh
(Girl, girl)
Now now now now tell me baby
What's been wrong with you
I said bye
(Bye bye bye bye)
Bye bye baby bye bye
(Bye bye bye bye)
So long
(So long so long)
Bye bye baby I'm gone
(Bye bye bye bye)
I said bye bye baby
Bye, bye, bye, bye
Bye now bye
(Bye bye bye bye)
Bye now baby bye
(Bye bye bye bye)
The Beatles’s song “Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!” is a lively, upbeat tune that tells the story of a man who is eager to go to Kansas City to retrieve his beloved girlfriend who has been gone for a long time. The singer expresses his desire to reunite with his baby and how long he has been waiting to have her back in his life. The song is a classic example of the 1960s rock n’ roll sound that The Beatles were famous for. They combine various elements from classic rock, blues and even pop music which make the song timeless and enjoyable even today.
Throughout the song, the singer is enthusiastic about going to Kansas City, with his excitement perfectly mirrored in the staccato rhythm of the song. The repetition of phrases such as “Hey, hey, hey, hey” and “1-2-3-4, 5-6-7-8-9” add to the liveliness of the song, making it incredibly catchy and memorable. The regular and abrupt shifts between calls and responses throughout the song, along with the electric guitar and drum accompaniment, create a sense of urgency that highlights the singer’s eagerness to be with his girlfriend again.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah Kansas City
I am thinking about Kansas City
Going to get my baby back home
I'm traveling to Kansas City to bring my love home
I'm going to Kansas City
I am traveling to Kansas City
Going to get my baby back home
I'm going to bring my love home from Kansas City
Well its a long long time too
It's been a very long time since my love has been gone
My baby's been gone
My love has been away for too long
Going get my baby one time
I'm going to get my love back from Kansas City
Its a just a 1-2-3-4, 5-6-7-8-9
Going to get my love back is as easy as counting from one to nine
Hey hey hey hey
Hey there
(Hey hey hey hey)
Hey there
Hey, baby
Hey, my love
(Hey, baby)
Hey, my love
Ooh now girl
Oh my love
(Yeah, yeah)
Yes, my love
I said yeah now, huh
I'm saying yes now, you know
(Girl, girl)
My love, my love
Now now now now tell me baby
Please, please tell me my love
What's been wrong with you
What's been troubling you
I said bye
I'm saying goodbye
(Bye bye bye bye)
Goodbye
Bye bye baby bye bye
Goodbye my love, goodbye
So long
Farewell
(So long so long)
Farewell
Bye bye baby I'm gone
Goodbye my love, I'm leaving
(Bye bye bye bye)
Goodbye
I said bye bye baby
I'm saying goodbye my love
Bye, bye, bye, bye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Bye now bye
Goodbye now
(Bye bye bye bye)
Goodbye
Bye now baby bye
Goodbye my love, goodbye
(Bye bye bye bye)
Goodbye
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@88feji
The story about Hey Jude is probably more complicated ... I think.
When John left his wife and child for Yoko Ono, Paul McCartney visited John's ex-wife and son Julian Lennon to check on how they were coping ... Thats when he came up with idea to write a song to comfort Julian.
Here's where things get a bit blurry ...
Paul said in interview that he later changed the lyrics to make it not specifically about Julian but braoden it to be about the everyman ..... (he changed the name Jules to Jude, and added in a part about encouraging Jude to pursue a girl ) .... Paul said he wanted to broaden the song's appeal. Well, the real reason is probably something else....
I think Paul must have changed the lyrics to avoid giving the impression to John that he's meddling with John's family affairs by trying to comfort Julian about John's divorce .... who knows, John may react angrily seeing it as a criticism about his own infidelity ..... but of course Paul would not say that openly, its quite easy to see the real reason why he had to change the lyrics to be openly comforting Julian ...
I'm not sure at which point John would know that the song was originally meant for, his son Julian Lennon, but he eventually knew.
I hope this helps to clarify some listeners's confusiion with the lyrics, on one hand people know its written to comfort Julian, but finds it weird that the lyrics talks about chasing a girl instead when Julian was only 3-5 yo at that point ...
@renatacaldeira3593
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 anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain,
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders.
For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder.
Hey Jude, don't let me 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 under your skin,
Then you'll begin to make it
Better better better better better better, oh.
Na na na nananana, nannana, hey Jude...
(repeat X number of times, fade)
@thomasomalley6320
That lil "hey juuuudee" before he started to properly sing will never stop making me smile
@vigneshnaruto9777
Its great to see soooo many people listenin to this after soo many years
@maimunab7287
I thought my speaker wasnt working
@martinkostov8983
Cringe
@thomasomalley6320
Fmm_General thanks 😒
@martinkostov8983
The comment is cringe not the vid
@tomatopuree2193
It makes me really happy when the comment section is full of comments posted maybe a week ago AND they have hundreds of likes. :) The beatles will be heard forever, thats a fact
@josephcolatruglio4354
I totally agree
@kristismith3662
Keeping real music alive is all that matters
@terryperring104
@Elias Håkansson
But there will always be movies that come out with Beatles connections.