He swears up and down that he wrote it for the young Julian Lennon, but for the last 40 years Paul McCartney’s “Hey Jude” has brought solace to us all. It’s a “pull-over song,” which means that no matter where you are, when and if it hits, you can’t not play it all the way through. You end up on the side of a road or sitting inside a garage, “Na na na NANANANAAAA”-ing your weepy brains out.

What's your favorite pop-song sing-along? [Poll]

But what’s better than singing “Hey Jude” alone in your car is singing “Hey Jude” with total strangers... anywhere. It’s happened a few times, this mass public bonding. A quick YouTube dive returns any number of “Jude”-related videos. That old Beatles magic floated through a 7 train carrying fans from a Big Apple Macca gig in 2009. In January, passengers stranded at Newark Airport’s Terminal C warmed their hearts with musician Josh Wilson. Then there’s this Mardi Gras bus ride from Binche. Whether you’re blitzed off your nut or just love music, "Hey Jude" remains a cockle-warmer, a universal salve, a therapeutic uniter of souls.

The sad-song-made-better was back again last weekend, this time thanks to buskers in the Times Square subway station. This is one phenomenon I can’t help but support. If we all keep getting together like this, who cares if the trains ever come?

Hey Jude Times Square Subway Station from 39forks on Vimeo.

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