Paul McCartney’s Handwritten ‘Hey Jude’ Lyrics Sell for $910,000 at Beatles Auction

Paul McCartney’s handwritten lyrics for “Hey Jude,” used in the studio when the Beatles recorded the 1968 classic, sold for $910,000 at auction Friday.

The lyric sheet, which McCartney used during the July 1968 recording session at London’s Trident Studios and then gifted to a studio engineer, had a pre-auction estimate of $160,000. The sale of the “Hey Jude” lyrics highlighted Julien’s Auctions’ Beatles-themed lot that coincided with the 50th anniversary of the band’s breakup.

Other notable items included the drumhead from the Beatles’ 1964 concert at San Francisco’s Cow Palace ($200,000), John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Bagism drawing ($93,750), a shooting script for the “Hello Goodbye” video featuring handwritten notations by Lennon and George Harrison ($83,000) and Ringo Starr’s Abbey Road ashtray ($32,000).

Additionally, the original stage from the Beatles’ first public performance — a May 14th, 1960 gig where the band is billed as “the Silver Beats” —sold for $25,000, exceeding its pre-auction estimate of $10,000-$20,000. The 19’8″ x 9’10″ spread of wood planks was taken from Liverpool, England’s Lathom Hall, “the scene of the infamous fight involving original bass player Stu Sutcliffe,” according to the auction house.

“This stage of the Fab Four’s first performance is not only one of the most extraordinary artifacts ever to come to market from Beatles history, but all of music history,” Julien’s Auctions’ Martin Nolan previously said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to offer this remarkable and unique piece that set the stage for the auspicious start of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band of all time as well as these other incredible and significant items that celebrate the magic of Beatlemania.”