When listening to music it is very easy to hear a song and not know exactly what it means and why the songwriter had made the song the way they did. One English rock band never failed to put out songs that left you thinking about it even after it was over. The Beatles were a group made in 1960 and since their major breakthrough became a name known in many homes to this day. In this dream team of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.

The song “Yesterday” was first brought to the United States in September 1965 where the song quickly reached number one on the United States charts. This song is one I have always loved and am excited to tell you both my interpretation and other interpretations of this song written by Paul McCartney.

To start out with the song format McCartney took a very different approach than a lot of artists in this time and did not give the song a pre-chorus or a chorus but instead was formatted into verse 1, then verse 2, followed by the bridge then verse 3 then the bridge again and ended it with a 4th verse. This could have easily been a risk to the song altogether but ended up making it very unique and maybe another reason the song was such a success.

To start out with the first verse the lyrics are written:

Yesterday// All my troubles seemed so far away// Now it looks as though they’re here to stay// Oh, I believe in yesterday

In this verse, there is a reference to what yesterday was. They state that yesterday was simpler and there was not as much to worry about yesterday. Then he states that all the things that were so easy became more difficult and that today brought a harder fight. IN this verse I would overall say that they are concluding that as time does on things will get harder so remember to never take advantage of what we had yesterday before today comes. 

In the second verse the lines are:

Suddenly// I’m not half the man I used to be// There’s a shadow hanging over me// Oh, yesterday came suddenly

In this verse, he is referencing his past saying that he is becoming less of a man and that he finds it harder to be who he used to be and that this change in him has all come so suddenly and he only recently has realized this changed. 

In the bridge of the song the lyrics are as followed:

Why she had to go I don’t know she wouldn’t say// I said something wrong now I long for yesterday

The bridge of the song talks about a girl that has left his life and he states that he said something wrong which could have led her to leave him and now he is regretting the situation he is in and wishes he could make the things he did wrong right again. 

In the third verse the lines are:

Yesterday// love was such an easy game to play// Now I need a place to hide away// Now I need a place to hide away// Oh, I believe in yesterday

In this verse, he talks about the love that he had and how quickly it went away and now he is left in this bad spot and he almost does not know what to do and he stated that he believes yesterday was so much better and that now he is in a place that he is not happy with now.

In the last verse, the third verse is restated this may be in order to retell his feeling of that part of the song.

Overall, I believe the song is about all the good stuff that was in the past and how one day it all can change, and no matter how much you miss it that it was still yesterday and in how in the past. This song is one that is so meaningful in many different ways and will be a song loved by so many people for years and years to come.