Julian Lennon Embraces The Beatles “Hey Jude” on Forthcoming Album ‘JUDE’

Julian Lennon is releasing his seventh album JUDE, out in late 2022, and will share two new tracks, “Every Little Moment” and “Freedom,” on April 8.

The album title is a nod to The Beatles’ 1968 song “Hey Jude,” which was originally written by Paul McCartney as ‘Hey Jules” and later changed to “Jude” to help comfort the then 5-year-old Lennon during his parents John and Cynthia Lennon’s divorce. Though Lennon has admitted to having a love-hate relationship with The Beatles hit, he says the song has ultimately become part of his identity.

On JUDE, Lennon embraces the song and others that have been developing over time and pulled from his own life journeys.

“Many of these songs have been in the works for several years, so it almost feels like a coming-of-age album,” said Lennon in a statement on the album. “With great respect for the overwhelming significance of the song written for me, the title ‘JUDE’ conveys the very real journey of my life that these tracks represent.”

Produced by Lennon and Justin Clayton, JUDE captures intimate snapshots of the artist’s own life and more universal experiences. Lyrically, “Everything Changes” explores the omnipresent social, political, and environmental strains of the world.

Tired of this world, all the good that we do
Never seems to get through, it’s a shame
We’ve pleaded for change but the wars carry on
Whether you’re weak or strong, don’t you know?I can change, you can change
Everything wrong with our lives
We can change all of our lives

Everything changes everyday
We’ve got to find a better way
And on our hearts we’ve got to pray
For something better than today, everything changes

Tired of the lies, all the people in pain
We all suffer the same without love
We can’t carry on with the hunger, disease
And the threat of you dropping the bomb

Also a filmmaker, photographer, and philanthropist, Lennon launched The Cynthia Lennon Scholarship for Girls in 2015,, a scholarship program for girls in Kenya, which has awarded more than 40 scholarships to girls throughout Africa and expanded the scholarship to art students in the U.S. in 2021. Lennon was also honored with the CC Forum Philanthropy Award in Monaco and named a UNESCO Center for Peace 2020 Cross-Cultural and Peace Crafter Award Laureate in 2021. 

Lennon was also honored with the World Literacy Award for his work to promote literacy through The World Family Foundation. Also an author, Lennon has published several books, including the 2019 trilogy “Touch the Earth,” “Heal the Earth,” and “Love the Earth,” along with the children’s graphic novel The “Morning Tribe” in 2021.

JUDE is Lennon’s first album in more than 11 years since the release of Everything Changes.

Photo: Robert Ashcroft