All the Lonely People
The Beatles Lyrics
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I look at all the lonely people
Picks up the rice in the church where her wedding has been
Lives in a dream waits at the window
Wearing a 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?
Writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near look at him working
Nodding 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?
I look at all the lonely people
I look at all the lonely people
Died in the church and was buried alone with her name, nobody came
Wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from her 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” talks about the lives of two lonely people, Eleanor Rigby and Father McKenzie. The chorus echoes a question seeking to find out where all the lonely people come from and where they all belong. The phrase “all the lonely people” is a reflection of the human condition, which often leads people to live in isolation due to a lack of connections or companionship.
The lyrics show how Eleanor Rigby spends her life, picking rice in the church where she was once married, patiently waiting at the window and wearing a face that she keeps in a jar by the door. Father McKenzie, on the other hand, writes sermons that nobody will hear and spends his nights by himself. The lyrics suggest that Eleanor Rigby and Father McKenzie are two examples of the many lonely people who exist in the world.
The song is a poignant commentary on the isolation that many individuals face in their lives. It talks about the lack of human connection and the feeling of being lost, which can make people’s lives feel empty and meaningless. The lyrics provide a powerful reminder to cherish the relationships we have and to reach out to those who are lonely, for they too are seeking connection.
Line by Line Meaning
I look at all the lonely people
The singer observes and contemplates the presence of people who experience an overwhelming sense of loneliness and isolation.
Picks up the rice in the church where her wedding has been
A woman who was once married is compelled to go back to the church where the wedding took place and gather the scattered rice from the auspicious occasion that now means nothing to her.
Lives in a dream waits at the window
The woman spends most of her time in daydreams and hallucinations, and waits at the window to catch a glimpse of something different from her mundane life.
Wearing a face that she keeps in a jar by the door, who is it for?
The woman preserves a mask of her past self in a jar and looks at it every day, wondering who it is for and what it represents.
All the lonely people, where do they all come from?
The artist muses about the origins of all the lonely people, pondering what events or circumstances led them to their current state of solitude and emptiness.
All the lonely people, where do they all belong?
The singer contemplates where lonely people belong and whether there is a place for them in this world.
Writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear
A preacher tirelessly composes a sermon that nobody will listen to or care about.
No one comes near look at him working
The preacher works alone, with nobody to interact with, and nobody to provide support or empathy for his feelings.
Nodding his socks in the night when there's nobody there, what does he care?
The preacher talks to himself, painfully aware of his own lack of social interaction, realizing that no one will hear him, and resigning himself to his fate.
Died in the church and was buried alone with her name, nobody came
A woman passes away in the church and is laid to rest with no one attending her funeral or expressing their condolences.
Wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from her grave, no one was saved
A man who buries a woman alone takes solace in the fact that he has done his duty, disinterested in the fact that he could not save her, adding to the weight of loneliness.
Contributed by Leah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@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?
@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
@1999sytuao
This is isn't music. This is art.
@average_trans_furry
But.... Music is art though
@bengaler
Art music
@joshi66
the whole revolver album is art