Hey Jude
Wilson Pickett and Duane Allman Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

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, made to go out and get her
The minute you let her under your skin
Then you begin to make it better

Any time you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders
For you know that it's a fool who plays it cool
By making world a little bit colder

Hey Jude, don't let me down
You found her, now go on out and get her
But 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, make it better
Just remember to let her under your skin
Then you'll begin to make it better
Ooh, aah, ooh, oh Jude
Hey, hey, hey, it's gonna be all right
Hey, hey, hey, Jude, Jude, it's gonna be all right
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
It's gonna be all right, Jude
Yeah, you know, whoo, yeah




Hey Jude, hey, hey Jude-y
Got to, got to, got to

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Wilson Pickett's version of Hey Jude are a shortened version of the original song by The Beatles. The theme of the song is inspiration and encouragement to a friend or loved one. The song begins with an appeal to the listener, "Hey Jude, don't make it bad / Take a sad song and make it better." The listener is advised to "let her into your heart" and to not be afraid or let the world's problems get them down.


The second verse speaks to the pain the listener may experience and tells them that they don't have to shoulder the burden of the world's problems. The song advises, "Don't carry the world upon your shoulders / For you know that it's a fool who plays it cool / By making the world a little bit colder." The final verse reiterates the message of encouragement, that the listener will be alright and to let the inspiration they need to move forward come from within.


Overall, this song speaks to the power of positivity and hope in the face of adversity. It encourages the listener to take action and not be afraid to go after what they want, while acknowledging the difficulties of life and the pain that comes with it.


Line by Line Meaning

Hey Jude, don't make it bad
Don't worsen the situation, Jude


Take a sad song and make it better
Transform a sad situation into a better one


Remember to let her into your heart
Open up to her emotionally


Then you can start to make it better
Only then can you improve the situation


Hey Jude, don't be afraid
Don't be scared to pursue her


You were made, made to go out and get her
It's your destiny to go get her


The minute you let her under your skin
Once you let her emotionally close to you


Then you begin to make it better
You can now start improving the situation


Any time you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain
When you feel hurt, don't act out rashly


Don't carry the world upon your shoulders
Don't burden yourself with the weight of the world


For you know that it's a fool who plays it cool
Pretending to be cool is foolish


By making world a little bit colder
You'll only make things worse


Hey Jude, don't let me down
Don't disappoint me, Jude


You found her, now go on out and get her
You've found what you're looking for, go get her


But remember to let her into your heart
Don't forget to fully open up to her emotionally


Then you can start to make it better
Only then can you improve everything


So let it out and let it in, hey Jude, begin
Be honest with yourself and start your journey


You're waiting for someone to perform with
You're waiting for someone to join you in your journey


And don't you know that it's just you, hey Jude, you'll do?
Realize you are capable of doing it all by yourself


The movement you need is on your shoulder
The power to change everything is within you


Ooh, aah, ooh, oh Jude
A sound of encouragement and empathy for Jude


Hey, hey, hey, it's gonna be all right
Everything will be okay


Hey, hey, hey, Jude, Jude, it's gonna be all right
A reassuring statement to Jude


Hey, hey, hey, hey
An exclamation of encouragement


Hey, hey, hey
An exclamation of encouragement


It's gonna be all right, Jude
Things will get better for you, Jude


Yeah, you know, whoo, yeah
Acknowledgement of Jude's emotions


Hey Jude, hey, hey Jude-y
A term of endearment for Jude


Got to, got to, got to
An exclamation of urgency to take action




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@D.Z.A.-kp8lf

Wilson Pickett is so underrated it's a crime... Seriously

@chrislopez8897

Paul McCartney must stand in awe of where Wilson and Duane took it. They blew the roof off this song! What a document of musical greatness.

@rosesaffron8149

Hello. I agree with you. Till now, this is the version I listen to.
Best regards. 🎵🎼🎶🎸

@ak.freeman

Haha guys this is the original

@jamesdavis891

Was in Africa when this came out. Giving Black power and white power to this music any time.

@jamesdavis891

They both must be remembered to the music industry. Rest In Peace, both. 😊

@rubyjones7441

Fantastic!

6 More Replies...

@jacobfrantzmonster

Whose listening in 2021? We need this more than ever. Black and White Ebony and Ivory.

@voraciousreader3341

Such a tired and hackneyed cliché. Who thinks, in 2021, we can come up with something better than that??

@joecozzi1365

2024 listening.

More Comments

More Versions