Sixty years ago, on September 13, 1965, “Yesterday” was released in the United States, two months after its debut in England. Though it is estimated to have been played at least seven million times in the 20th century, has been covered by 2,200 artists, and has twice been voted the greatest song ever written in prestigious polls, its path to release was fraught with internal conflict.
The song’s unique genesis and the fact it is the only Beatles track performed solely by Paul McCartney made it so different from the band’s repertoire that it took months for John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr to lift their veto against its publication.
“Yesterday” is also the most famous song ever composed in one’s sleep. McCartney recounted waking with the complete melody in his head and spent months asking people if they recognized it, fearing it was not his own. Once its originality was confirmed, he and Lennon jokingly titled the unfinished work “Scrambled Eggs.” The melancholy melody and the playful title turned the composition into a running joke between them.
Over time, however, McCartney grew serious about the work, even requesting a piano on the set of the film “Help!” to finish it. The extensive time spent composing during filming reportedly infuriated the Beatles’ director, Richard Lester. George Harrison, renowned for his sharp wit, later remarked that Paul spoke of nothing but the song for months, noting, “You would have thought he was Beethoven or somebody.”
After months of work, McCartney finalized the song. Several arrangements with other instruments were tried, but on the insistence of producer George Martin, it was recorded with just Paul on acoustic guitar, accompanied by a string quartet.
In a notable episode, Chris Farlowe, one of the most original voices of the English blues-rock scene, was offered the chance to record “Yesterday” before The Beatles released it. He refused, deeming the ballad “too mawkish.”
Perhaps the most prestigious criticism came from Bob Dylan, who first stated that “there are thousands of better songs than ‘Yesterday’ and ‘Michelle’ in the Library of Congress.” He later recorded his own version of “Yesterday” with his friend George Harrison; the recording exists but has never been officially released.