It's moving and rousing. It was at the number one spot in Britain for some time. I vaguely recall that it might have been slammed at the time. Not sure. A simple song. But, I love the bagpipes in it too. I haven't really appreciated it over the years. But, now I think it is one of Macca's better solo songs. It wasn't included on the Capitol release of All The Best! Wonder why. But I think it's one of the very best.

Quoted from GreenApple

I vaguely recall that it might have been slammed at the time. Not sure.

It was downright villified and ridiculed as representing everything that was bad in rock. it didn't make the playlists of most rock radio stations.
Probably because a) the St John Lennon Macca-hate campaign had done its job and Paul (and Wings) were considered lightweight and inconsequential. Paul was branded as the new Perry Como. b) Punk was in full swing and anything that wasn't unadorned two minute guitars was labelled corporate rock, suitable only for mums and dads and americans. It's hard to imagine now how anti-Paul the "serious" UK rock establishment was in those days.
Johns death would only make it worse and it wouldn't be until Brit-pop that paul started getting his just deserves.

Mull Of Kintyre was released in 1977, three years before John was killed. But it's true punk was the main thing and this kind of sweet singalong was not done. He scored a massive hit with this song however, punk or not.

Quoted from Bobber

Mull Of Kintyre was released in 1977, three years before John was killed. But it's true punk was the main thing and this kind of sweet singalong was not done. He scored a massive hit with this song however, punk or not.

True true. By the Johns death bit I meant that while Maccas stock was low in 1977, Johns death and his subsequent diefication sent it plummetting to the floor (commenting more on the anti-Paul thing than the song itself)
I really like the song by the way.

I think it's a good song.

I think it's an excellent song. It;'s one of those songs that you either get or you don't. And I get it because I'm Scottish (mostly, anyway).

no i don't like/get it at all, an awful song, that i can't believe paul came up with!

I also like it because it moved away from the ballad thing.

I think it's a dirge! Shame it had Girls School hidden away on the b-side.

I remember the Scots being pissed of with them for wearing kilts in the video. Sacrilege if you don't have a clan.

Mairi, mine's 'McDonald', by the way!

I like it, but it teeters somewhere in the lower depths for my taste in pauls music.

actually denny laine wrote the bulk of it....

Thats kind of a bummer Paul gets all the credit for it.

hey jude is almost as bad as this track.

Quoted from Wordno

Thats kind of a bummer Paul gets all the credit for it.

He also gets all of the royalties as he bought the rights from Laine.

I know that he bought the royalties from Denny, but its still a bummer that people think that only Paul had something to do with that song.

Quoted from 197

hey jude is almost as bad as this track.

What kind of a sick, demented comment is that?

Quoted from Wordno

I know that he bought the royalties from Denny, but its still a bummer that people think that only Paul had something to do with that song.

Do you think that if it was anybody else we'd even be discussing this song? Be honest with yourself.

Quoted from tkitna

What kind of a sick, demented comment is that?

Haha, you better believe me brother.
It's dribble!

So your calling 'Hey Jude' dribble? WTF is all I can say. One of the few tunes that Lennon himself said was great and your calling it dribble. If you dont like it personally thats fine, but you cant ignore its importance or place in their or anybody elses catalog.

I better believe you? PFFTT!

lol, the only reason it is seen as so 'imporant' is because so many people like it, and consider it amazing, when i think the fact is it's not! If John liked it, that's great..he had mixed taste, and after all it was about HIS son. It's fair enough if people think it's on one his amazing tracks, but in my opinion it really doesn't cut it..it's boring and annoying, and this and mull of kintyre are one of the very few paul tracks i don't like. Yesterday is miles better.

hey jude is cool...altho it has not much in the way of lyrical content....other songs that paul cannot take credit for include medicine jar and richard cory...there are others but my brain is still thawing out...it's cold here....is this florida??!!!

seems like were getting all the sun today

Backing to topic ( oh, my, it's me who's saying this?!LOL!  ): I would say it's a great hit but not a great song ... touchs the soul and it's emotional as a hymn but not more than a good song ... but I like it a lot!  

i love mull of kintyre and think it will stand better the test of time than one of pauls actual songs.....

Christ it's like a fucking hymn that song.

If you don't have any appreciation for any music outside the 'rock' spectrum, then you shouldn't be discussing this song because you probably wouldn't get it.

I bought it at the time it came out i was at a tender age of 15 and i liked then but then i stopped playing it alltogeher and the heard on the radio last xmas i it sounded brilliant! funny what time does to you!    

Quoted from Mairi

If you don't have any appreciation for any music outside the 'rock' spectrum, then you shouldn't be discussing this song because you probably wouldn't get it.

Come on you know i like many different genres outside of rock, jazz and folk being my second favourite, it's not about not 'getting the song' as i've put forward my reasons and opinions why i don't like it.

Oh, I wasn't referring to yoiu specifically, just people in general. I'm actually a bit suprised that you don't like the song.

Quoted from Mairi

Oh, I wasn't referring to yoiu specifically, just people in general. I'm actually a bit suprised that you don't like the song.

Just because somebody dares not to like this song does not mean that they have no appreciation of music outside of the "'rock' spectrum".

If we don't like something should we just stay quiet about it?

Hey Jude - simple yet evocative lyrics, a  melody you can hum along to till to you die, fantastic minimal production, the greatest singalong chorus of all time - pop/rock (with a little bit of gospel and blues) just doesn't get any better in my book.  

Quoted from Kevin

Hey Jude - simple yet evocative lyrics, a  melody you can hum along to till to you die, fantastic minimal production, the greatest singalong chorus of all time - pop/rock (with a little bit of gospel and blues) just doesn't get ant better in my book.  

AMEN!!!

Quoted from BlueMeanie

If we don't like something should we just stay quiet about it?

Yes. You should be like Freemasons and homosexuals and keep your doings to yourself.
A Beatle fan not liking Hey Jude is like a Christian thinking Jesus was a bit of a nob.

Quoted from BlueMeanie

Just because somebody dares not to like this song does not mean that they have no appreciation of music outside of the "'rock' spectrum".

If we don't like something should we just stay quiet about it?

Yeah, you have a point there.

I Think she said that actually because i said that song was like a 'hymn'...Kevin, i agree and like that point you made about it having blues and gospel in it(this resonates in the chorus repeated at the end)-your right, at least it covers a lot of genres, which i respect/like about the song, but i'm really not into it. And i disagree with what you said 'A Beatle fan not liking Hey Jude is like a Christian thinking Jesus was a bit of a nob.', number one, because it's got nothing to do with any of the members in particular (i have nothing against paul),this is about his product, whereas you have said this in your quote about the christians...And my other point is are there any Beatles songs you don't like? are you suggesting that because i don't like a track, i am 'unfaithful' to the Beatles? Therefore you must like every beatles songs kevin, otherwise its like a christian thinking jesus was a nob.

I wasn't being that serious, but I stand humbled and corrected.

Acchording to this bootleg ...
http://www.bootlegzone.com/album.php?name=mhtv6&section=3



... this is a Paul piano demo of the song ... back in 1974!
http://rapidshare.com/files/23162194/08_Mull_Of_Kintyre__Piano_demos_-_Early_1974_.mp3.html

Mull of Kintyre is a lovely little song, very simple & you can sing along to
it, but i'm still baffled why it so sold so massive!

Quoted from Andy Smith

Mull of Kintyre is a lovely little song, very simple & you can sing along to
it, but i'm still baffled why it so sold so massive!

I'm shamed to say it, but probably bought by the same people who send Cliff Richard sailing to the top of the charts evry so often. They're like Yeti's and Bigfoot - you hear about them but never actually see one.
The bagpipes are catchy and it's very "Auld lang sine (sp)" which appeals to people of a certain ilk.

Something similar happened with Hope Of Deliverance ...

Quoted from raxo

Another Paul's attemp to compose a single ... and a good song ... it's funny how some songs are more on the radio depending of the country ... I've heard that Hope Of Deliverance was a great hit in some countries (even was one of the best selling records ever) and a failure in the others   ...

'HOPE' SPRINGS ETERNAL
'Hope Of Deliverance' looks set to go down in history as Paul McCartney's best-selling single. The 1993 hit has sprung into the sales lead ahead of the 1977 Wings monsterselling 'Mull Of Kintyre' - with worldwide sales of 'Hope' now exceeding 4 million. Most of 'Hope's' sales were in Germany, where the single is the most airplayed song in history.
http://wingspan.ru/magazines/cs/cs82anc/page02.html

from here: http://dmbeatles.com/forums/b-songs/m-1118863174/s-75/

I had no idea about 'Hope Of Deliverance' selling that much. I just remember when 'Off The Ground' came out and that was the single from it and it kind of died here shortly after (I like the song well enough), but then again, I live in America and sometimes we're really behind with the music scene.

I forgot about Hope of Deliverance, that's such a great song!
Better than Mull of Kintyre i think.

I'm playing the hell out of "Mull of Kintyre," as this is the first year in my life I've heard the song.  Whistling, singing, annoying friends and co-workers...you name it, I'm doing it with "Mull