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
The 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 (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?
The song "Eleanor Rigby" by The Beatles tells the story of two lonely people, Eleanor Rigby and Father McKenzie, who lead empty lives without connection or purpose. The song begins by painting a picture of Eleanor Rigby, a woman who "picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been" and "waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door." These images suggest that Eleanor is a lonely woman who spends her days doing menial tasks and hiding her true self from the world. The chorus then poses a question: "All the lonely people, where do they all come from? / All the lonely people, where do they all belong?" This question highlights the theme of loneliness that runs throughout the song.
The second verse shifts the focus to Father McKenzie, a man who "writes the words of a sermon that no one will hear" and "darns his socks in the night when there's nobody there." These details suggest that Father McKenzie is also a lonely figure who spends his days performing thankless tasks for an absent congregation. The chorus repeats before the song returns to Eleanor Rigby, who has died and is buried "along with her name" without anyone to mourn her passing. Father McKenzie is shown wiping the dirt from his hands as he leaves the gravesite, still alone and unable to save anyone.
The song's simple melody and catchy chorus have made it one of The Beatles' most popular and enduring hits, but its touching lyrics and melancholy tone also make it a powerful commentary on the human experience. "Eleanor Rigby" speaks to the isolation and disconnection that many people feel in modern society, as well as the search for meaning and connection that drives us all.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Observing the many people who are struggling with loneliness and social isolation.
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?
Describing a lonely woman, Eleanor Rigby, who acts as a church custodian and lives her life in isolation while wondering who she is trying to impress with her appearance.
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
Reflecting on the prevalence of loneliness and the struggles that many people have with feeling like they do not fit in or have a place in society.
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?
Depicting a lonely priest, Father McKenzie, who is committed to his work despite the fact that nobody comes to his sermons, and who is left to handle his own chores in isolation.
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
Telling the sad story of how the lonely Eleanor Rigby died alone and was buried by Father McKenzie, who also had nobody to mourn her death or comfort him in his grief.
Lyrics © editionPlus Verlags GmbH, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
Yet another splendid Beatles song.
ZEN
The song has always broken my heart and the meaning behind it, “Eleanor Rigby” was released by The Beatles in 1966 as part of their Revolver album roll-out. A unique offering for the famed group, the song features only a string arrangement and vocal from Paul McCartney across the verses. The full group joins in on the chorus for a few moments of classic Beatles harmony.
Paul McCartney recounted the song’s origin and meaning in a 2018 interview with GQ, saying “Over the years, I’ve met a couple of others, and maybe their loneliness made me empathize with them. But I thought it was a great character, so I started this song about the lonely old lady who picks up the rice in the church, who never really gets the dreams in her life. Then I added in the priest, the vicar, Father McKenzie. And so, there were just the two characters. It was like writing a short story, and it was basically on these old ladies that I had known as a kid.”
Behind the Lyrics
McCartney, who penned most of this song, got the name from the actress Eleanor Bron, who appeared in the 1965 Beatles film Help!. “Rigby” came to him while in Bristol, England when he spotted a store named Rigby and Evens Ltd. Wine and Spirit Shippers. He liked the way the two names ringed together because it sounded natural and matched the rhythm he wrote.
As the opening chorus makes perfectly clear, the song is a sort of character piece about “all the lonely people.” The song’s intricate string arrangement underscores the narrative Paul McCartney sings about across the track’s three verses. The two characters, Eleanor and Father McKenzie, are both isolated in their own lives before finally “meeting” after Eleanor’s death, with the priest burying her.
Eleanor Rigby Meaning
The first verse follows the titular Eleanor as she tidies up after a wedding send-off and peers through the window at her house.
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
When McCartney first introduces us to Eleanor she is living in a “dream” world of her own, picking up rice from a wedding that was thrown over the happy couple. With the opening lines, he quickly lets the listener know that the closest Eleanor comes to getting married herself is tidying up after everyone has left.
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
Later it’s revealed that Eleanor died, leaving no one to carry on her name. McCartney adds a bit of irony towards the end of the song by having the song’s two characters cross paths a little too late. If the two had met earlier they might have become friends with something in common, but it was too late. Eleanor died leaving Father McKenzie to “meet” her while officiating the funeral. He also implies that McKenzie’s sermon “saved” no one given that nobody attended.
Father McKenzie
The second character featured in the song’s lyrics is Father McKenzie. Without having much of a congregation, McKenzie is forced to write sermons that “no one will hear.” He later talks about darning his socks. Question is, if no one else will see if his socks are darned, why does he care? The second verse’s lines speak to the priest’s isolation and lack of companionship.
Heart breaking in my eyes , There are so many lonely people still in the world in 2022 going on 2023
Mangotunde, The Mangonian Prince
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?
mila
love or hate the beatles you can’t deny this song is pure art.
Shia Nansen
yes u r right
Gabor Pete
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
El Judío Nazi Satanista
@Epsa hello
rershyy 01
love or hate the beatles, you can’t deny this is a song
Inedible
This song truly captures not just loneliness, but all the emotions that come with it
TommyK
I once read that Eleanor was a WWI widow. Sad.
ISABELLA deste GONZAGA
Das ist seit 1974 mein ultimatives Lieblingslied von den Beatles.
Neben Nowhere man das beste Stück der Beatles.
Ich hab Eleanor Rigby gekannt. Sie starb 1976.