McCartney's vocal and acoustic guitar, together with a string quartet, essentially made for the first solo performance of the band. It remains popular today and, with more than 2,200 cover versions, is one of the most covered songs in the history of recorded music. "Yesterday" was voted the best song of the 20th century in a 1999 BBC Radio 2 poll of music experts and listeners and was also voted the No. 1 pop song of all time by MTV and Rolling Stone Magazine the following year. In 1997, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) asserts that it was performed over seven million times in the 20th century.
"Yesterday" is a melancholy ballad about the break-up of a relationship. The singer nostalgically laments for yesterday when he and his love were together, before she left because of something he said. McCartney is the only member of the Beatles to appear on the track. The final recording was so different from other works by the Beatles that the band members vetoed the release of the song as a single in the United Kingdom, although other artists were quick to record versions of it for single release. The Beatles recording was issued as a single there in 1976 and peaked at number 8.
Yesterday
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All my troubles seemed so far away
Now it looks as though they're here to stay
Oh, I believe in yesterday
Suddenly
I'm not half the man I used to be
There's a shadow hangin' over me
Why she had to go, I don't know, she wouldn't say
I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday
Yesterday
Love was such an easy game to play
Now I need a place to hide away
Oh, I believe in yesterday
Why she had to go, I don't know, she wouldn't say
I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday
Yesterday
Love was such an easy game to play
Now I need a place to hide away
Oh, I believe in yesterday
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The Beatles’ Yesterday is a melancholic, introspective song about heartbreak, regret, and the fleeting nature of happiness. Paul McCartney, the songwriter, pours out his emotions through the lyrics, expressing his longing for an idyllic past that he can never have back. The opening line, “Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away,” invites listeners to delve into the singer’s feelings of nostalgia as he reflects on a time when life was simpler and he had not yet experienced the pain of losing a loved one.
McCartney describes how suddenly everything changed, trading his past happiness for the shadow of the present. He believes that the pain he is enduring is here to stay, and he yearns for a time that’s gone forever. The lyrics, “Why she had to go, I don't know, she wouldn't say; I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday,” gives a hint of the reason behind his sadness, which is the loss of a romantic partner. He blames himself for the breakup, implying that he may have said or done something that led to the end of the relationship.
As the song progresses, McCartney mourns how love, which once seemed so effortless, has now become a difficult game to play. He seeks solace in hiding away from the world that no longer feels kind or forgiving. The final line, “Oh, I believe in yesterday,” shows that despite the pain he is experiencing, he has a deep appreciation for his past experiences and memories. He clings to them as a reminder of a time when he was happy, innocent and carefree.
Line by Line Meaning
Yesterday
Reflecting on the past
All my troubles seemed so far away
In the past, problems felt small and insignificant
Now it looks as though they're here to stay
Current problems feel permanent and inescapable
Oh, I believe in yesterday
Nostalgia for simpler times
Suddenly
Abrupt change in circumstance
I'm not half the man I used to be
Feeling diminished and inadequate
There's a shadow hangin' over me
A looming sense of sadness or regret
Oh, yesterday came suddenly
Sudden onset of nostalgia or regret
Why she had to go, I don't know, she wouldn't say
Confusion and sadness over a lost love
I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday
Regret over a mistake and longing for the past
Yesterday
Reflecting on the past
Love was such an easy game to play
Love used to come easily
Now I need a place to hide away
Craving solitude and escape from current problems
Oh, I believe in yesterday
Nostalgia for simpler times
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Musical interlude
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., O/B/O DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
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A really great Beatles song.
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A very tuneful Beatles song.
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An excellent Beatles song.
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