Yesterday (song)

"Yesterday" is a landmark song by the English rock band the Beatles.

It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership. The song is widely recognized as a melancholic ballad, often interpreted as being about lost love. It holds a massive place in music history due to its widespread popularity. With over 2,200 cover versions, it is one of the most covered songs ever recorded. In 1999, a BBC Radio 2 poll of experts and listeners named it the best song of the 20th century. Additionally, MTV and Rolling Stone magazine both voted it the number one pop song of all time.

The musical structure of the song is quite sophisticated for a pop track. It features two distinct sections that provide melodic and rhythmic variety. The main melody is seven bars in length, which is an extremely rare structure for popular music. The second section, known as the bridge or "middle eight," follows a more standard eight-bar form. The song is written in the key of F major, though McCartney tuned his guitar down a whole step. This means he was actually playing the chords as if they were in G major. The frequent use of the minor key and specific chord progressions gives the song its signature sad feeling.

McCartney's performance on the track is unique within the Beatles' catalog. He is the only member of the band to appear on the actual recording. He plays an Epiphone Texan, which is a steel-string acoustic guitar. To add depth, a string quartet was added during the recording process. This marked one of the first times the Beatles used session musicians for a track. The string arrangement includes a groaning cello line and a descending viola line. These elements were largely attributed to McCartney's own ideas rather than the producer, George Martin. This combination of a spare acoustic guitar and a string quartet created a stylistic hybrid.

The origin of the melody is a famous story in music history. McCartney claims the entire melody came to him in a dream. He was staying at the Wimpole Street home of his girlfriend, Jane Asher, at the time. Upon waking, he rushed to a piano to play the tune so he would not forget it. He was initially worried he had subconsciously plagiarized someone else's work. For about a month, he asked people in the music business if they recognized the melody. Once he was sure it was original, he began writing the lyrics. Before the final words were chosen, he used a placeholder lyric titled "Scrambled Eggs."

Writing the final lyrics took several more months of work. While the song was being developed, the Beatles released two other albums. There was a delay in the song's release, possibly due to disagreements over the arrangement. McCartney eventually found the right words during a trip to Lisbon, Portugal, in May 1965. He completed the work while staying in Albufeira, Algarve, using a borrowed acoustic guitar. Interestingly, the song was offered as a demo to singer Chris Farlowe before the Beatles recorded it. However, Farlowe turned it down because he felt the song was "too soft."

The recording session took place at Abbey Road Studios on June 14, 1965. This was just four days before McCartney's 23rd birthday. There are different accounts of how the session went. Some say the band tried various instruments like drums and organ before settling on the guitar. McCartney recorded two takes that day, and the second take was chosen as the master. On June 17, the string quartet was overdubbed onto that second take. The song was first released on the album *Help!* in August 1965. In the United States, it became a massive hit as a single in September 1965, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Yesterday" has also faced academic scrutiny regarding its similarities to other works. In 2001, Ian Hammond suggested the song might resemble Ray Charles' version of "Georgia on My Mind." Later, in 2003, musicologists noted similarities between the lyrics and the song "Answer Me, My Love." McCartney's publicists denied any such resemblance. Beyond musicology, the song carries personal weight. McCartney has suggested the lyrics might indirectly reference the loss of his mother, Mary McCartney. Regardless of its origins, the song remains a profound example of how a simple, well-crafted melody can connect with millions of people across generations.