Yesterday (December 28), Parks and Recreation star Amy Poehler took to social media to share one of her many talents with her followers. While most know her as a comedic actor, Poehler showed that she has a great singing voice while taking on The Beatles’ classic “Yesterday.”
Poehler captioned the video “Favorite melancholy song for favorite melancholy week.” This goes to show that even if you’re a star, the week between Christmas and the New Year is a slow-moving black hole. The combination of post-holiday blues and anticipation for what’s to come in the next trip around the sun leaves many feeling less than jolly as the year draws to a close. The Beatles classic she chose to sing fits the feeling of this week like a glove.
Poehler looked cozy wearing a festive sweater and black-rimmed glasses with her hair in a loose bun. She stitched her video with an older gent playing piano and giving instructions on how to sing the song. She adorably replied to his instructions before belting the song like a pro. Watch her say farewell to 2023 below.
“Yesterday”: A Beatles Hit with a Legendary Backstory
“Yesterday” will forever be a highlight of The Beatles’ catalog. It is the most-covered song of all time. It was also the first song performed by a single member of the band released by the Fab Four. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s a legend attached to the song.
Paul McCartney composed the melody for “Yesterday” in a dream. When he woke up, he rushed to a piano and played the tune. However, he was afraid that he stole the melody from somewhere. As a result, he took the song to several producers to see if they recognized it. No one did.
“Eventually it became like handing something in to the police. I thought if no one claimed it after a few weeks then I could have it,” McCartney joked.
It took much longer to write the lyrics to “Yesterday.” The Beatles released two albums between McCartney’s original composition and its release.
The Beatles originally released “Yesterday” on Help! in the UK. In the United States, they released it as a single for the album.
