Sean Ono Lennon recently addressed a theory about the Beatles’ ‘Hey Jude’ on X. A fan commented under Sean’s birthday post for Paul McCartney:
“I’m still convinced he wrote ‘Hey Jude’ about your dad, not your stepbrother. Who else ‘takes a sad song and makes it better?’ He (Macca), of course, sticks to the established story. Theory, yes. Proof, no?”
The singer replied:
“I mean, Julian was very sad. So, it makes sense to say that to him.”
McCartney’s Support For Julian Lennon
John Lennon met Yoko Ono while still married to Cynthia Powell and left her after their relationship got serious. McCartney wrote ‘Hey Jude’ (originally ‘Hey Jules’) to comfort five-year-old Julian Lennon during the divorce process.
Julian discussed the song in a 2022 interview with iHeartRadio:
“Obviously, as a kid, his lyrics and the song at the age of five didn’t really mean too much. Of course, it was only later in life that I realized what it was all about. I’m very thankful for his support in having written that song.”
‘Hey Jude’ Was A ‘Dark Reminder’ For The Oldest Lennon Child
The track also had a downside for the 61-year-old, though. He once told SiriusXM’s ‘Debatable’ radio show:
“I am thankful to Paul for writing it and putting some hope behind what was to come. But the downside of it was it was a dark reminder of what actually went down at the time, the separation.”
Julian also reflected on the ‘The Beatles: Get Back’ documentary and went on:
“After watching the documentary, there was so much pride in seeing dad the way I used to know him as a kid, remembering him and seeing him being a goofy bugger but also being such a great writer, performer, and singer. It reminded me how much love I actually had for him. It just brought a lot of memories up.”
You can listen to ‘Hey Jude’ below.