London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Feb 20, 2026

The Beatles: Rare notebook containing handwritten 'Hey Jude' lyrics to go on display

The Beatles: Rare notebook containing handwritten 'Hey Jude' lyrics to go on display

A rare notebook featuring handwritten lyrics and recording notes from hit songs by The Beatles is set to go on display at a museum in Liverpool, England.

Collated from 1967 to 1968, the previously unseen notebook contains preliminary handwritten lyrics for "Hey Jude" by Paul McCartney, a part-lyric for "Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band," and George Harrison's recording notes for "All You Need Is Love."

It contains doodles by all four members -- John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Star -- and reveals some of the inspiration behind the seminal rock band's 1967 album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," as well as their self-titled record "The Beatles" released a year later.

The notebook contains Paul McCartney's handwritten draft lyrics to the 1968 song "Hey Jude."


The notebook belonged to the group's tour manager Mal Evans, according to a press statement from The Beatles Story museum, where the notebook will be exhibited from February 2022.

Mal Evans' widow, Lily Evans, put the notebook up for auction at Sotheby's in 1998, over two decades after her husband's death in 1976. It was sold to Liverpool businessman Alan Murphy for £100,000, the museum confirmed to CNN.

Born in Liverpool, Mal Evans became The Beatles' road manager in 1963, and was part of the band's "trusted inner circle," the press release said.

The notebook is set to go on display at The Beatles Story museum in Liverpool England.


He appeared in Peter Jackson's 2021 docuseries "The Beatles: Get Back."

Formed in Liverpool in 1960, and breaking up in 1970, The Beatles' legacy far outlasts their 10-year run as one of the world's most influential rock bands.
The award-winning group earned 19 No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits across their career, according to the Grammy Awards website.

They swept the music industry by storm with era-defining album covers, genre-defying records and Beatlemania -- the term coined to describe the fanatical hype surrounding the band.

Band member Paul McCartney has since collaborated with artists including Stevie Wonder, Rihanna and Kanye West.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
King Charles III Opens London Fashion Week as Royal Family Faces Fresh Scrutiny
Trump’s Evolving Stance on UK Chagos Islands Deal Draws Renewed Scrutiny
House Democrat Says Former UK Ambassador Unable to Testify in Congressional Epstein Inquiry
No Record of Prince Andrew Arrest in UK as Claims Circulate Online
UK Has Not Granted US Approval to Launch Iran Strikes from RAF Bases, Government Confirms
AI Pricing Pressure Mounts as Chinese Models Undercut US Rivals and Margin Risks Grow
Global Counsel, Advisory Firm Co-Founded by Lord Mandelson, Enters Administration After Client Exodus
London High Court dispute over Ricardo Salinas’s $400mn Elektra share-backed bitcoin loan
UK Intensifies Efforts to Secure Saudi Investment in Next-Generation Fighter Jet Programme
Former Student Files Civil Claim Against UK Authorities After Rape Charges Against Peers Are Dropped
Archer Aviation Chooses Bristol for New UK Engineering Hub to Drive Electric Air Taxi Expansion
UK Sees Surge in Medical Device Testing as Government Pushes Global Competitiveness
UK Competition Watchdog Flags Concerns Over Proposed Getty Images–Shutterstock Merger
Trump Reasserts Opposition to UK Chagos Islands Proposal, Urges Stronger Strategic Alignment
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis advocates for a ban on minors using social media.
Liberal Senator Michaelia Cash Accuses Prime Minister of Lying to Australians
Meanwhile in Time Square, NYC One of the most famous landmarks
Jensen Huang just told the story of how Elon Musk became NVIDIA’s very first customer for their powerful AI supercomputer
A Lunar New Year event in Taiwan briefly came to a halt after a temple official standing beside President Lai Ching‑te suddenly vomited, splashing Lai’s clothing
Jillian Michaels reveals Bill Gates’ $55 million investment in mRNA vaccines turned into over $1 billion.
Ex-Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrested
Former British Prince Andrew Arrested on Suspicion of Misconduct in Public Office
Four Chagos Islanders Establish Permanent Settlement on Atoll
Unitree Robotics founder Wang Xingxing showcases future robot deployment during Spring Festival Gala.
UK Inflation Slows Sharply in January, Strengthening Case for Bank of England Rate Cut
Hide the truth, fake the facts, pretend the opposite, Britain is as usual
France President Macron says Free Speech is Bull Sh!t
Viktor Orbán getting massive praise for keeping Hungary safe, rich and migrant-free!
UK Inflation Falls to Ten-Month Low, Markets Anticipate Interest Rate Cut
UK House Prices Climb 2.4% in December as Market Shows Signs of Stabilisation
BAE Systems Predicts Sustained Expansion as Defence Orders Reach Record High
Pro-Palestine Activists Cleared of Burglary Charges Over Break-In at UK Israeli Arms Facility
Former Reform UK Councillors Form New Local Group Amid Party Fragmentation
Reform UK Pledges to Retain Britain’s Budget Watchdog as It Seeks Broader Economic Credibility
Miliband Defends UK-California Clean Energy Pact After Sharp Criticism by Trump
University of Kentucky to Host 2026 Summer Camps Fair Connecting Families with Local Programmes
UK Police Forces Assess Claims Jeffrey Epstein Used Stansted Airport Flights in Trafficking Network
UK-Focused Equity ETF FLGB Climbs to Fresh 52-Week Peak on Strong Market Sentiment
Trump Warns UK’s Chagos Islands Agreement Is a “Big Mistake” Amid Strategic Security Debate
Trump Urges UK to Retain Sovereignty Over Diego Garcia Amid Strategic Concerns
Italian Police Arrest Man After Alleged Attempt to Abduct Toddler at Bergamo Supermarket, Child Hospitalised With Fractured Femur
Rupert Lowe wanted to deport rape gangs and the communities who protected them
Reform UK Appoints Former Conservative Minister Robert Jenrick as Finance Chief
UK Unemployment Rises to Highest in Nearly Five Years as Labour Market Weakens
Rupert Lowe Advocates for English-Only Use in the UK
US Successfully Transports Small Nuclear Reactor from California to Utah
South Korea's traditional sand wrestling sport ssireum faces declining interest at home
Japan outlawed Islam
Virginia Giuffre accuses Epstein of trafficking to powerful men for blackmail.
New Mexico lawmakers initiate investigation into Zorro Ranch linked to Jeffrey Epstein
×