Veloso is the fifth of the seven children born to José Telles Veloso ("Seu Zezinho") and Claudionor Vianna Telles Veloso ("Dona Canô"). His younger sister Maria Bethânia, another popular and renowned artist in Brazil, preceded him to fame as a singer in the mid-1960s. He began his career around 1965 singing bossa nova and he has cited his greatest musical influences from his early period as João Gilberto and Dorival Caymmi. (João Gilberto would say later about Caetano's contribution that it added an intellectual dimension to brazilian popular music.) But with such musical collaborators Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Tom Zé, Chico Buarque, and Os Mutantes, and greatly influenced by the later work of The Beatles, developed tropicalismo, which fused Brazilian pop with rock and roll and avant garde art music resulting in a more international, psychedelic, and socially aware sound. Veloso's politically active stance, unapologetically leftist, earned him the enmity of Brazil's military dictatorship which ruled until 1985; his songs were frequently censored, and some were banned. Veloso was also alienated from the socialist left in Brazil becasue of his acceptance and integration of non-nationalist influences (like rock and roll) in his music. Veloso and Gilberto Gil spent several months in jail for "anti-government activity" in 1968 and eventually exiled themselves to London. Caetano Veloso's work upon his return in 1972 was often characterized by frequent appropriations not only of international styles, but of half-forgotten Brazilian folkloric styles and rhythms as well. In particular, his celebration of the Afro-Brazilian culture of Bahia can be seen as the precursor of such Afro-centric groups as Timbalada.
In the 1980s, Veloso's popularity outside Brazil grew, especially in Israel, Portugal, France and Africa. By 2004, he was one of the most respected and prolific international pop stars, with more than fifty recordings available, including songs in soundtracks of movies such as Pedro Almodovar's Hable con Ella (Talk to Her), and Frida. In 2002 Veloso published an account of his early years and the Tropicalia movement, Tropical Truth: A Story of Music and Revolution in Brazil.
His first all-English CD was A Foreign Sound (2004), which covers Nirvana's "Come as You Are" and compositions from the Great American Songbook. Five of the six songs on his third eponymous album, released in 1971, were also in English.
Eleanor Rigby
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
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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
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
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 on 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?
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?
The lyrics of "Eleanor Rigby" by Caetano Veloso speak of the loneliness and isolation experienced by different individuals in society. The song revolves around two characters, Eleanor Rigby and Father McKenzie. Eleanor Rigby is described as a woman who picks up the rice after a wedding ceremony and lives a life of solitude, wearing a face she keeps in a jar by the door. She waits at the window, dreaming of a better life but never finding it. The question "Who is it for?" highlights her struggle with feeling unrecognized and unimportant.
The second character, Father McKenzie, is depicted as a man writing a sermon that no one will hear because no one comes near. He spends the night alone, darning his socks, and caring for no one but himself. The chorus of "All the lonely people, where do they all come from? Where do they all belong?" emphasizes the ubiquitous nature of loneliness in society.
The song ends on a melancholy note, with Eleanor Rigby dying alone in a church and being buried without any mourners. Father McKenzie walks away from her grave, "wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks on the grave," underscoring the bleakness of the situation.
Overall, "Eleanor Rigby" is a heartbreaking portrayal of loneliness and isolation in society. It highlights the importance of recognizing and valuing every individual, as well as the need for human connection and a sense of belonging.
Line by Line Meaning
Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been
Eleanor Rigby is at the church picking up the leftover rice from a wedding, symbolizing her loneliness and lack of a romantic partner
Lives in a dream
Eleanor lives in a daydream, longing for something more
Waits at the window
Eleanor often waits by the window, hoping for someone to come and take her away from her loneliness
Wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door, who is it for?
Eleanor wears a persona to hide her true self, and she does not know who this persona is for
All the lonely people, where do they all come from?
The artist is questioning where all the lonely people come from, highlighting their seemingly limitless existence
Father McKenzie writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear, no one comes near
Father McKenzie, like many people, feels lonely and isolated in his life and work, as no one seems to be listening to him or connect with him
Look at him working, darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there, what does he care?
Father McKenzie doesn't let his loneliness get in the way of his work, but the singer questions whether he truly cares or whether his actions are just a coping mechanism
Ah, look at all the lonely people
The artist points out the abundance of lonely people in society, often overlooked and ignored
Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along with her name, nobody came
Eleanor passed away alone, and no one came to her funeral, highlighting the tragic effects of loneliness and isolation
Father McKenzie wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks on the grave, no one was saved
Father McKenzie, despite his religious work, couldn't save Eleanor or any others like her, leaving a feeling of hopelessness in his wake
Lyrics © editionPlus Verlags GmbH, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
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