After the fourth verse, the song shifts to a fade-out coda that lasts for more than four minutes.
'Hey Jude' begins with a verse-bridge structure incorporating McCartney's vocal performance and piano accompaniment further instrumentation is added as the song progresses.
'Hey Jude' is a ballad evolved from 'Hey Jules', a song McCartney wrote to comfort John Lennon's son, Julian, during his parents' divorce.
