Yesterday

About this song

McCartney said the melody came to him in a dream, and he tumbled out of bed to play it on the piano by his bedside. He then arranged the music with George Martin. The song has been covered over 2,000 times, making it the most covered song in history.

What it's about

The song is a spare, haunting story of lost love. McCartney later admitted it was also connected to the death of his mother, which he had not fully processed as a young man.

Summary written with AI, based on the song's page on Genius.

Fun facts

• Sampled in 11 other songs, like “Eilinen by Laura Närhi”.
• Covered 153 times, including “Yesterday by Gap Mangione”.
• Written by John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Lennon–McCartney.
• Produced by George Martin.
• Recorded at EMI Studios.