Would You Believe Paul McCartney Was Nervous About Releasing “Hey Jude?” Find Out Why, Below

Would you believe Paul McCartney was nervous about releasing “Hey Jude”–a seminal, world-wide classic? According to the former Beatle, he had no concept of whether or not the song was going to work in the late ’60s. As we all know now, it was a rousing success, but hindsight is 20/20. Find out why McCartney was nervous to release one of his biggest hits, below.

Videos by American Songwriter

[RELATED: Sabrina Carpenter Believed Paul McCartney Was Her “Future Husband” After Listening to His Music, Recalls Their First Encounter]

Would You Believe Paul McCartney Was Nervous About Releasing “Hey Jude?” Find Out Why, Below

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

Not every artist is able to tell which songs are going to work in the moment–not even legendary songwriters. Many musicians experience a sense of worry about their art. Will it be any good? Will the fans accept it? It’s hard to know what someone else’s reaction to something is going to be.

While writing “Hey Jude,” McCartney was “worried stiff” that it, in actuality, wasn’t very good. We find it hard to comprehend listening to this track and not being wowed by it, but we have the benefit of time.

McCartney relayed his worries in an interview about his solo work. The conversation was swayed toward “Hey Jude,” comparing it to his new album. McCartney couldn’t give any degree of certainty on whether or not his new songs would be “as good” as “Hey Jude,” because he couldn’t tell how good that song would be in the moment.

“I was worried stiff when ‘Hey Jude’ came out just in case it wasn’t any good,” McCartney once said. “I wasn’t sure if it was any good. I can never tell. But I know that on this record there are some great tracks.”

McCartney can rest assured in how “Hey Jude” turned out…Revisit this Beatles hit, below.

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.

(Photo by Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)