What Can Beatles Songs Tell Us About Relationships and Divorce?
Mar 17, 2026 | Written by: | Share
When I was younger, I was not a big fan of the Beatles. However, as I got older, I began to appreciate more of their music. More recently, I have come to appreciate the amazing combination of their talent as songwriters and musicians and the wide variety of their songs. While I initially viewed all Beatles songs as sounding alike (which may be true for their early, more basic songs), it is clear their musical depth expanded over the years. Of course, as a family law attorney, I often relate pop culture to relationships and divorce. While we all interpret music and lyrics differently, and these songs and lyrics may have different meanings for each of you, this article is based upon my own interpretation of certain Beatles music and lyrics in regard to relationships and divorce.[1]
Early in a relationship the thoughts and feelings are much like the song 8 Days A Week, with lyrics such as “always on my mind,” “love you all the time,” and “ain’t got nothing but love, babe, 8 days a week.” Other songs and lyrics also reference the strong feelings that can exist in relationships, such as “in my life I’ve loved you more” from the song In My Life. Or the song The End with the lyrics “and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.” The song Here There and Everywhere references a deep romantic love where you want your partner in all aspects of your life. The song When I’m 64 explores the themes of aging, enduring love, and domestic stability, asking the endearing question as to whether a partner will still love you when you get older.
Unfortunately, sometimes relationships fail, things change, people change, and sometimes people grow apart. Sometimes a partner in a relationship will feel ignored, as referenced in the song You Won’t See Me. The lyrics explain the feelings such as “I don’t have much to say, but I get turned away” and “you refuse to even listen, I wouldn’t mind if I knew what I was missing.” The song I’m Looking Through You references changes in a relationship, with lyrics such as “I’m looking through you, where did you go, I thought I knew you, what did I know, you don’t look different, but you have changed, I’m looking through you, you’re not the same.”
Sometimes a relationship cannot be repaired and ends in divorce. At that point, we may wish it was Yesterday, when troubles were absent and the relationship was stable. The lyrics point this out: “yesterday, love was such an easy game to play, now I need a place to hide away, oh I believe in yesterday.”
When going through a divorce, it is important to understand the other side’s position and to try to reach a solution through compromise. This is clear in the song We Can Work It Out with lyrics such as “try to see it my way,” “life is very short and there is no time for fussing and fighting, my friend,” and “we can work it out.”
It is also important to have support through the emotional process of divorce. Hopefully, individuals going through divorce can rely on help from friends and family. The song A Little Help From My Friends has lyrics such as: “What do I do when my love is away, does it worry you to be alone, how do I feel by the end of the day, are you sad because you're on your own? No, I get by with a little help from my friends.”
When going through a divorce, it is helpful to focus on the fact that things will get better, as Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da notes: “life goes on, brah, la-la, how their life goes on.” With the divorce process, we can look forward to a light at the end of the tunnel. Here Comes The Sun reminds us of this with lyrics like “the smile’s returning to the faces,” “it seems like years since it’s been here,” “here comes the sun,” and “and I say it’s all right.” Ultimately, we should all remember the song All You Need Is Love, with the encouraging message that “you can learn how to be you in time” and that, with love from family and friends and the hope of new romantic love, “There's nothin' you can do that can't be done.”
[1] Note: Glass Onion, the song written by John Lennon for the White album, was created to make fun of fans and critics who over-analyze the band’s lyrics. However, lyrics can always mean different things to different people, regardless of what the songwriters' intent may have been.
William J. Rudnik, Esq., is a partner with Gebhardt & Kiefer, PC. He is certified by the NJ Supreme Court as a Matrimonial Law Attorney. In addition to handling divorce litigation, he is qualified as a Mediator in the field of Family Law under the New Jersey Court rules, and he is trained in Collaborative Divorce. Contact Mr. Rudnik at 908-735-5161 or via email.
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Any statements made herein are solely for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon or construed as legal advice.