The song was primarily written by Paul McCartney, although John Lennon claimed that "the first verse was his and the rest are basically mine." Pete Shotton, a close friend of Lennon who was present at the time, said "Though John (whose memory could be extremely erratic) was to take credit, in one of his last interviews, for most of the lyrics, my own recollection is that 'Eleanor Rigby' was one 'Lennon-McCartney' classic in which John's contribution was virtually nil." McCartney also says that Lennon helped on about "half a line."
Ringo Starr contributed the line "Father MacKenzie/ Writing the words to a sermon that no one will hear", while George Harrison came up with the idea for the backing vocal "Look at all the lonely people".
It remains one of The Beatles' most recognizable and unique songs, with a double string quartet arrangement by George Martin, and striking lyrics about loneliness. It was also the first song on which none of the Beatles played their instruments; while they sang on the track, the only actual instruments were played by the session musicians who played Martin's score.
The song continued the transformation of the group, started in Rubber Soul, from a mainly pop-oriented act to a more serious and experimental studio band.
=Cover versions=
Caetano Veloso: Eleanor Rigby
Beth Thornley : Eleanor Rigby
Pain : Eleanor Rigby
Booker T. & The MG's : Eleanor Rigby
Eleanor Rigby
Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ah look at all the lonely people
Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice
In the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window, wearing the face
That she keeps in a jar by the door
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
Father McKenzie, writing the words
Of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near
Look at him working, darning his socks
In the night when there's nobody there
What does he care
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
Ah look at all the lonely people
Ah look at all the lonely people
Eleanor Rigby, died in the church
And was buried along with her name
Nobody came
Father McKenzie, wiping the dirt
From his hands as he walks from the grave
No one was saved
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
The Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby is a melancholic yet thought-provoking song that contemplates the lives of two lonely people who are seemingly insignificant and unimportant in their community. The song starts with a simple yet powerfully poignant line “Ah look at all the lonely people”, establishing the theme right from the start.
The song then introduces Eleanor Rigby, a lonely woman who lives in a dream world and spends her time picking up rice in a church after a wedding has taken place. She wears a face that she keeps in a jar by her door, and the question raised is “who is it for?”. The tone of the song appears to suggest that Eleanor could be living with depression or mental illness, which she masks from others. The second stanza introduces Father McKenzie, a clergyman who writes empty sermons that nobody will hear. The song describes his life as working and darning his socks at night when there’s nobody around. The chorus that follows raises the same question for both Eleanor and Father McKenzie, “All the lonely people, where do they all come from? All the lonely people, where do they all belong?”
The final verse reveals that Eleanor Rigby dies alone in a church, and nobody comes to mourn her or to attend her funeral. Father McKenzie buries her, and he too leaves alone without being able to save her. The song ends with the same line, leaving the listener to ponder the meaning and profound message behind the lyrics, and ultimately, the human struggle with loneliness and the impact it can have on our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah look at all the lonely people
The singer observes the large number of people who seem to be lonely and without any meaningful human connections.
Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice
Eleanor Rigby is collecting rice left over from a wedding at the church. She has no one else to talk to or spend time with.
In the church where a wedding has been
The church is empty now, except for Eleanor Rigby, who is collecting the leftover rice from the last wedding held there.
Lives in a dream
Eleanor Rigby's life is an empty dream, devoid of any real purpose or meaning.
Waits at the window, wearing the face
Eleanor Rigby waits at her window, wearing a mask that is symbolically representative of her attempts to keep up appearances and maintain a facade of normalcy despite her profound isolation and loneliness.
That she keeps in a jar by the door
Eleanor Rigby keeps the mask that she wears to hide her true feelings in a jar by the door, suggesting that it is something she puts on and takes off at will.
Who is it for
The singer asks who the mask is for, implying that it serves no real purpose other than to hide the truth about Eleanor Rigby's life from others.
Father McKenzie, writing the words
Father McKenzie is writing a sermon, but no one is likely to hear or listen to what he has to say.
Of a sermon that no one will hear
Father McKenzie's sermon will most likely go unheard and unheeded by his parishioners, suggesting a profound lack of connection between him and the people in his congregation.
No one comes near
No one comes near or pays attention to Father McKenzie, showing a general lack of interest or concern from the community he serves.
Look at him working, darning his socks
Father McKenzie is shown working on mundane household tasks, highlighting his loneliness and lack of meaningful work to occupy his time.
In the night when there's nobody there
Father McKenzie works on his socks during the night, when there is no one else around to keep him company or offer him any support.
What does he care
The singer wonders if Father McKenzie cares about his current state of being, as he seems resigned to his lonely and isolated existence.
Eleanor Rigby, died in the church
Eleanor Rigby died alone in the church, where she spent her time collecting leftover rice from weddings and trying to maintain a sense of connection to the world around her.
And was buried along with her name
Eleanor Rigby's name is the only thing that is buried with her, highlighting the deep sense of isolation and disconnection she experienced throughout her life.
Nobody came
No one came to her funeral, underscoring her profound loneliness and the fact that she had no close friends or family to mourn her passing.
Father McKenzie, wiping the dirt
Father McKenzie is the only person who attends Eleanor Rigby's funeral, wiping dirt from his hands as he walks away from her grave.
From his hands as he walks from the grave
Father McKenzie walks away from Eleanor Rigby's grave, symbolizing the deep sense of disconnection and loneliness that characterized both of their lives.
No one was saved
The final line of the song emphasizes the idea of the 'all the lonely people' and the fact that no one was saved from their isolation, underscoring the profound sense of hopelessness and despair that pervades the entire song.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LENNON, JOHN WINSTON LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY, PAUL JAMES MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@estefaniagutierrezgaytan9745
Lyrics: (it’s for me, but if helps someone else here is:)
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Eleanor Rigby
Picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window
Wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
Father McKenzie
Writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near
Look at him working
Darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there
What does he care?
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Eleanor Rigby
Died in the church and was buried along with her name
Nobody came
Father McKenzie
Wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave
No one was saved
All the lonely people (ah, look at all the lonely people)
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people (ah, look at all the lonely people)
Where do they all belong?
@Dragonking-fd1qv
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Eleanor Rigby
Picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window
Wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
Father McKenzie
Writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near
Look at him working
Darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there
What does he care?
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Eleanor Rigby
Died in the church and was buried along with her name
Nobody came
Father McKenzie
Wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave
No one was saved
All the lonely people (ah, look at all the lonely people)
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people (ah, look at all the lonely people)
Where do they all belong?
@xenan7889
1962: She Loves You Yeah Yeah Yeah
1966: A Song About Dying And Being Forgotten
@stayoung80
Shows how much they evolved both as musicians and people.
@ArthurHGO1
Bob Dylan's influence
@apomorelli9580
Woahh
@jameskeane9721
Class A drugs change you. It's fantastic.
@bozman3974
Pressure causes things to crumble... same goes for humans
@milaanna444
love or hate the beatles you can’t deny this song is pure art.
@shianansen3896
yes u r right
@gaborpete
I used to hate them, I had thought they were boring to death, maybe intentionally boring, until I first heard and saw this song.
@Epsa_
How can anyone hate the Beatles tho fr