They have had a number of hit singles, their biggest hit being "You Keep Me Hangin' On", a slowed-down, trippy, hard-rock cover of a song originally recorded by The Supremes, which particularly featured Appice's energetic drumming. One follow-up to this hit, "Take Me for a Little While", was an original composition with a very similar sound both in musical themes and treatment, but it said something quite different from its forerunner. While it did not do nearly as well commercially, it did attract some airplay, making it a rare instance of a band successfully parodying their own work.
The members of Vanilla Fudge were great admirers of The Beatles, and covered several of their songs including "Ticket to Ride", of their version of which The Beatles were quite fond.
Vinnie Martel was invited to play with Jimi Hendrix, but Hendrix died a month later.
Bogert & Appice also played with jazz/rock guitarist Jeff Beck on their self-titled album in 1973. (Beck replaced Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds in the late 1960s.)
Stein and Appice revived the band in 1984, with very minor success. The band has not recorded, but has played some concerts since. A live concert recorded in Chicago in 1987 has been released recently.
Eleanor Rigby
Vanilla Fudge 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
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?
Vanilla Fudge's cover of The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" is a poignant exploration of the theme of loneliness in modern society. The opening lines express the sentiment that there are many lonely people in the world, and the lyrics continue with two vivid character studies that exemplify this. The first verse describes Eleanor Rigby, a woman who lives in a dream and picks up rice after a wedding in the church. The second verse portrays Father McKenzie, a clergyman who writes sermons that no one will hear and stays up at night darning socks, alone. The lyrics conclude with the sad reality that Eleanor Rigby dies alone in the church, and nobody comes to her funeral, not even Father McKenzie who wipes the dirt from his hands as he walks away from the grave.
The ambiguity of the lyrics reinforces the idea that loneliness can happen to anyone, even those who seem to be content with their lives, such as religious figures or hardworking women. Both characters are described in detail, yet there is still a sense of mystery surrounding their lives. Eleanor Rigby keeps a face in a jar by the door, and we do not know why or what it means to her. Father McKenzie is associated with the grave, but we do not know if it is just his duty or if he is mourning someone. The chorus is a simple plea to understand where all the lonely people come from and where they belong, as if these questions are impossible to answer.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah, look at all the lonely people
It is tragical and unfortunate that there are so many lonely people around.
Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice
In the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Eleanor is a lonely woman who collects rice in the church. She is possibly just imagining that she is part of the wedding, and this is her way of living her dream.
Waits at the window, wearing the face
That she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?
Eleanor waits at the window, and puts on a different personality with the face she keeps in a jar by the door. She's not sure who she's doing this for, possibly for attention or for her own peace of mind.
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
The song repeats the question of where all the lonely people come from, and where they all belong. Implying that it is a common thing, and these people are not living fulfilling lives.
Father McKenzie, writing the words
Of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near
Father McKenzie is alone, writing a sermon that no one will listen to, as no one comes near to the church.
Look at him working, darning his socks
In the night when there's nobody there
What does he care?
Father McKenzie spends his lonely nights darning his socks. He has no one around and therefore doesn't care much for his own life, as he feels insignificant.
Eleanor Rigby, died in the church
And was buried along with her name
Nobody came
Eleanor Rigby died inside the same church, and no one arrived to her funeral, possibly because she was so lonely.
Father McKenzie, wiping the dirt
From his hands as he walks from the grave
No one was saved
Father McKenzie buried Eleanor, and as he walks from the grave he is acutely aware of how lonely and sad her life was. No one was there to save Eleanor from a life of loneliness and misery.
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?
Again, the song repeats the same tragic question, as if to remind us of the reality of life for so many people who are lonely, and when it sings 'Ah, look at all the lonely people,' the emphasis is intended to evoke a strong sense of sadness and pity for such people.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind