Much has been made of the unusual length of this song (7:07), particularly for a single, but it's the means by which this length is sustained (not the length per se) that's of interest. There's also the subtle matter of the way that time in this song is divided into classically proportional durations, but more on all of this to come.
I'll go for it nonetheless, even if I do get everything wrong, because it's such a good illustration of two compositional lessons - how to fill a large canvas with simple means, and how to use diverse elements such as harmony, bassline, and orchestration to articulate form and contrast. 'Hey Jude' is such a monumental favorite, I'm almost dissuaded from touching it because of the pressure to say something profound. US-release: 26th August 1968 (A Single / 'Revolution') UK-release: 30th August 1968 (A Single / 'Revolution') Recorded: 29th, 30th July 1968, Abbey Road 2 ģ1st July, 1st August 1968, Trident Studios CD: 'Past Masters', Volume 2, Track 7 (Parlophone CDP 90044-2)
