🎻 About the Song
Paul McCartney famously “dreamed” Yesterday.
He woke up with the melody fully formed in his head, assuming it must’ve been something he’d heard before. For weeks he played it around the studio calling it “Scrambled Eggs” until everyone confirmed — nope, that’s yours, mate.
Released in 1965 on Help!, it became one of the most covered songs in history — over 2,200 versions and counting.
It’s deceptively simple: a guy reflecting on how easy love used to be before it all went wrong. No overproduction, no frills — just Paul, an acoustic guitar, and a string quartet.
It was the first Beatles track recorded solo by one member, and it quietly marked the beginning of their more introspective, adult songwriting.
The beauty is in the restraint. Yesterday doesn’t beg; it sighs.
🎸 Ukulele Playing Tips
- Chords (in C):C – B7 – E7 – Am – D7 – F – G7.
- Verse: C – B7 – E7 – Am – D7 – F – C – G7,
- Bridge (“Why she had to go…”): F – G7 – C – Am – D7 – F – G7.
- Strumming pattern: Gentle, slow Down–Down–Up–Up–Down-Up (~72 bpm).
Or finger-pick it (thumb for C, index for E, middle for A) for a soft, classical touch. - Tone: Warm and melancholy — play near the soundhole and let the strings breathe.
- Dynamics: Start very quiet; grow slightly at the bridge; then fade into the last line.
- Optional flourish: End with Cmaj7 (0002) instead of plain C — that’s the musical equivalent of staring wistfully out a rainy window.
- Sing tip: Keep it gentle. McCartney’s delivery isn’t dramatic — it’s tender and conversational, almost whispered.
🧠 Trivia You Can Drop Casually
- McCartney wrote it while staying at his girlfriend’s mum’s house — it literally came to him in a dream.
- Producer George Martin arranged the string quartet, making it one of the first pop songs to use classical instruments so prominently.
- John Lennon once said it was “Paul’s baby — nothing to do with The Beatles.”
- It was the most-played song on radio for over 20 years, and still turns up in at least one wedding and one funeral every weekend somewhere on Earth.
🌈 Final Word
Play Yesterday like a fragile memory.
No flash, no speed — just grace and space.
Every pause matters, every chord should ache a little.
If you don’t feel your chest tighten at “I believe in yesterday,” play it again — you missed a spot on your soul.