The song Yesterday was written by Paul McCartney and recorded by the Beatles in 1965 for their album Help!. It was released as a single in the United States, where it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks. The song is performed by McCartney alone, accompanied by a string quartet arranged by producer George Martin. Lyrically, Yesterday expresses a sense of loss and longing, as the singer reflects on a past relationship and wishes he could return to happier times. With more than 1,600 cover versions, it has become one of the most recorded and recognized songs in music history.