On This Day in 1965, The Beatles Released the Dream-Inspired Hit That Marked a Turning Point in Their Career and Inspired Thousands of Covers

On this day (September 13) in 1965, the Beatles released “Yesterday.” Later that year, it spent four weeks at the top of the Hot 100. It also went to No. 1 in several other countries. The song has inspired more than 3,000 covers since its release, making it the most-covered pop song in the history of recorded music. It was also the first solo performance recorded by a member of the Fab Four, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the band.

“Yesterday” is credited to Lennon-McCartney. However, Paul McCartney wrote the song himself. He is also the only member of the band who plays on the recording. The arrangement includes him, his acoustic guitar, and a string quartet. This was the first song they recorded that didn’t include the entire band. It was also the first song they couldn’t replicate live without bringing in other musicians.

According to Songfacts, “Yesterday” caught the ear of an older audience. Until this song hit the airwaves, most of their fans had been young people. The lyricism, arrangement, and melancholy vocal delivery signaled to older listeners that the Beatles were a serious band who made real music.

This Beatles Milestone Started with a Dream

According to The Beatles Bible, the melody that became “Yesterday” came to Paul McCartney in a dream. “I was living in a little flat at the top of a house, and I had a piano by my bed. I woke up one morning with a tune in my head, and I thought, ‘Hey, I don’t know this tune–or do I?’ It was like a jazz melody,” McCartney recalled.

He immediately went to the piano and learned to play the melody that was stuck in his head. After playing it long enough to memorize it, he set out to make sure it was an original piece. “Then I hawked it around to all my friends asking what it was,” he said.

[RELATED: 4 Beatles Lyrics That Are Surprisingly Deep]

While writing the song, McCartney famously used the working title “Scrambled Eggs.” The second line of the original lyrics was “Oh my baby how I love your legs.” We can all be glad that he took a little more time with this somber classic.

Featured Image by Barham/Tony Eyles/Mirrorpix/Getty Images

The post On This Day in 1965, The Beatles Released the Dream-Inspired Hit That Marked a Turning Point in Their Career and Inspired Thousands of Covers appeared first on American Songwriter.