Julian Lennon celebrates Paul McCartney’s 82nd birthday with a classic: ‘Hey Jude’

Julian Lennon, son of the late Beatles icon John Lennon and his first wife Cynthia, celebrated Paul McCartney’s 82nd birthday with a special tribute on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Tuesday, June 18.

Julian, 61, shared a message and a video montage in honor of McCartney. His caption read, “Hoppy Birdy, Uncle Paul! Only love… Jude x,” alongside a series of nostalgic photos and clips of himself with McCartney from his childhood.

The video, set to The Beatles’ classic "Hey Jude," begins with a photo of a young McCartney sitting beside Julian on the grass. It then transitions to show the pair walking together, followed by scenes of them playing by the sea. The montage concludes with a touching image of McCartney carrying a young Julian.

Fans quickly responded with emotional comments. “Awww. Hey Jude. I’m crying,” one user wrote, while another commented, “Beautiful tribute to Paul, Julian.”

Earlier this year, McCartney shared the story behind "Hey Jude" on an episode of his podcast, Paul McCartney: A Life in Lyrics on iHeartRadio. 

McCartney confirmed that Julian was the inspiration for the song, composed during a difficult time following John and Cynthia Lennon's divorce.

"I was traveling one day to see Julian Lennon and his mother Cynthia and I used to call him Jules," McCartney recounted. "So the song started off as I was in the car driving out, which was a 45-minute drive out of central London. 

People had sort of suggested, 'Oh, I fancied Cynthia' but people can suggest anything. I didn't. I was just going out, just as a friend. Just to sort of see them."

He elaborated on how he wanted the song to be a message of encouragement for Julian during the tough period. "So in my mind I'm thinking 'Hey Jules' you know, 'don't make it bad.' You know, I know this is tough for you but 'take a sad song and make it better.' Your dad's just left you so I was like, trying to be encouraging," McCartney said. "It was an encouraging song. Remember to let love into your heart and it will make it better."

He also explained the evolution of the song's lyrics, shifting from a general message of encouragement to one about overcoming fear and finding love again. 

“So then I start going 'you were made to go out and get her.' Now there is a woman arrived on the scene so now he's sad about a breakup. So 'remember to let her under your skin and then you begin to make it better.' "