Last learned how to play piano as child, switching to bass as a teenager. He joined Hans-Gunther Oesterreich's Radio Bremen Dance Orchestra in 1946, when he was 17 years old. In 1948, he became the leader of the Becker-Last Ensemble, which performed for seven years. During that time, he was voted as the best bassist in the country by a German jazz poll for three consecutive years, from 1950-1952. After the disbandment of the Becker-Last Ensemble, he became the in-house arranger for Polydor Records, as well as for a number of European radio stations. For the next decade, he helped arrange hits for artists like Helmut Zacharias and Caterina Valente.
Last released his first album "Non-Stop Dancing" in 1965. The record of brief renditions of popular songs, all tied together by an insistent dance beat and joyous crowd noises. It was a hit and helped make him a major European star. Over the next four decades, Last has released over 190 records, including several more volumes of Non-Stop Dancing. On these records, he varies his formula by adding different songs from different countries and genres, as well as guest performers like Richard Clayderman and Astrud Gilberto.
Though his concerts and albums are consistently successful — especially in England, where he had 52 hit albums between 1967-1986, which made him second to Elvis Presley in terms of number of charting records — he has only had two hit singles with "The Seduction," the theme from American Gigolo (1980) and Biscaya from the album "Biscaya".
He has won numerous polls and prizes, for example Billboard magazine's "Star of the year" trophy in 1976, and has been honored for his lifework with the German ECHO prize in 1994.
The song "The Lonely Shepherd", written by Last and performed by Gheorghe Zamfir and the James Last Orchestra, was featured in the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino's film "Kill Bill Vol. 1" (2003).
Personally, he divides his time between Florida and Germany. He gives much credit to his wife and son, who helps with the music.
Eleanor Rigby
James Last 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 lyrics of James Last's song "Eleanor Rigby" depict two lonely characters – Eleanor Rigby and Father McKenzie. The song begins with the chorus "Ah look at all the lonely people", setting the tone of the song, and portrays a sense of sadness and emptiness in their lives. Eleanor Rigby is introduced as a woman who lives in a dream and picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has taken place. She waits at the window, wearing a mask that represents the face she keeps in a jar by the door. The lyricist questions who the mask is for, leaving the listeners to imagine the reasons behind it. The song then shifts to the character of Father McKenzie writing a sermon that no one hears. The lyrics describe him darning his socks alone in the night, with nobody there to care. The chorus, "All the lonely people, where do they all come from? /All the lonely people, where do they all belong?" is repeated to imply that loneliness is a universal problem and that many people are struggling with it.
The song ends with the tragic fate of Eleanor Rigby, who dies and is buried in the same church where she picked up the rice. Father McKenzie is portrayed as being alone once again, as the lyrics describe him wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave, with no one being saved. The song leaves the listeners with a sense of emptiness and a reminder that compassion and care for others can make a difference, and the value of community cannot be ignored.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah look at all the lonely people
Observing the large number of individuals who lack companionship and support
Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice
A lonely woman who spends her time tending to the leftovers of weddings of others
In the church where a wedding has been
A place of witness to the union of others, now only left with one's loneliness
Lives in a dream
Living in a world of one's own imagination, possibly to escape the loneliness and the harsh realities of life
Waits at the window, wearing the face
Waiting for someone to come, putting on a façade to hide the true emotions and sadness
That she keeps in a jar by the door
The face that is kept outside the door, symbolizing how Eleanor keeps her true emotions hidden from the world
Who is it for
The question of why someone would create such a persona for themselves
All the lonely people
All of those who are isolated and unsupported
Where do they all come from?
Rhetorical question about how this type of loneliness occurs
Father McKenzie, writing the words
A priest who appears to be occupied with the design of sermons, even though they will not be heard by anyone
Of a sermon that no one will hear
A reflection of the priest's own loneliness, being unable to get through to anyone in the community
No one comes near
Nobody comes close enough to Father McKenzie to hear his words or comfort him in his isolation
Look at him working, darning his socks
A symbol of the overwhelming loneliness and lack of purpose that leaves Father McKenzie to lifeless menial work
In the night when there's nobody there
The absence of connections and relationships leaves Father McKenzie alone even in the abyss of night
What does he care
An assertion that due to his lack of relationships, he doesn't truly care about the purpose of his work or the way others view him
Ah look at all the lonely people
The repeated observation of those who have nobody to turn to or share life's experiences with
Eleanor Rigby, died in the church
The end result of a life of loneliness that resulted in dying alone with sadness and regret
And was buried along with her name
The recognition of Eleanor Rigby came only after her death when she was finally buried with her name
Nobody came
Eleanor Rigby was left alone in death, with no one to offer support or comfort
Father McKenzie, wiping the dirt
The priest who presided over Eleanor Rigby's funeral, remains alone as he carries on his duty
From his hands as he walks from the grave
Father McKenzie moves on to other duties, leaving behind a reminder of his own loneliness and the responsibilities that come with it
No one was saved
The epitaph of the song, in the context of the loneliness and isolation depicted: there is no saving or redemption from that kind of state
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind