“Hey Jude” lyrics handwritten by Paul sell for $910,000 at auction

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From The Guardian, April 11, 2020:

Paul McCartney’s handwritten lyrics to The Beatles’ hit song Hey Jude has sold for $910,000, nine times its original estimate, auction house Julien’s Auctions said. […] Before the sale, Julien’s Auctions music specialist Jason Watkins had described McCartney’s hastily scribbled notes for a 1968 studio recording of Hey Jude as very rare and valuable. “It’s obviously a very iconic song that everyone’s familiar with,” said Watkins. “These handwritten lyrics were used in the studio as a guide when they were recording it.” […]

From Julien’s Auctions:

A plain sheet with handwritten lyrics to the 1968 Beatles hit “Hey Jude” written by Paul McCartney in black felt pen and used in studio for recording. The lines in the lyrics are numbered from 1 through 4, with notations in between such as “BREAK” and at the end “Ending. Fading.” McCartney used the lyrics during the recording at Trident Studios, London, in July 1968 and later gifted them to a studio engineer. McCartney famously wrote the song for John Lennon’s son Julian as a source of comfort during the divorce of his parents John and Cynthia Lennon. The song was originally called “Hey Jules.” The non-album single was The Beatles’ first release on their Apple record label and a highly successful debut. It went on to be nominated for the GRAMMY Awards of 1969 in the categories of Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Accompanied by the sheet music for the song.

Last updated on December 17, 2023