Yesterday (song)

The song "Yesterday" by Paul McCartney was originally recorded by The Beatles for their album Help! in 1965. According to the Guinness Book of Records, "Yesterday" has the most cover versions of any song ever written, while BMI asserts that it was performed over seven million times in the 20th century alone. The song remains popular today with more than 3000 recorded cover versions, the first hitting the United Kingdom top 10 three months after the release of Help!.

Melody and lyric

The tonic key of the song is F major (although, since McCartney tuned his guitar down a whole step, he was playing the chords as if it were in G), where the song begins, before veering off into the relative minor key of D. It is this frequent use of the minor, and the dominant A seventh chord leading into it, that gives the song its melancholy aura. The string arrangement also adds to this feeling, especially in the groaning cello melody that connects the two halves of the bridge (on the line, "I don't know / she wouldn't say") as well as the descending line by the violin that segues the chorus back into the verses. This simple idea is so striking, McCartney mimics it with his vocal on the second pass of the chorus.

Related Topics:
Tonic - Minor key - Chord - Cello

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McCartney's eventual lyric for the song was sombre and fit the reflective melody. Although the lyric is rather vague, it could be interpreted to reveal sadness about a lost loved one. When the song was written, the lyric was considered unusual for a McCartney composition. Until then, most of McCartney's songs had been positive and upbeat; Lennon was considered the Beatle with the more introspective and sad lyrics. A of the song is available.

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