Transcript Eleanor Rigby

Eleanor Rigby
Written by:
John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Lyrics
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?
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?
In Eleanor Rigby by John
Lennon and Paul McCartney
was written while in the
Beatles, it talks about
loneliness in people. They ask
questions about lonely people,
but never really answer their
questions. Between the
choruses the song is also
telling a story of two very
lonely people Eleanor Rigby
and Father McKenzie. From
what they say about Eleanor
Rigby I get the impression that
she is lonely and a dreamer.
Lines 3-5 describe her as
dreaming for a wedding. While
Father McKenzie is also a
lonely person, lines 11-14.
In a general statement the
song is about lonely people.
The lines “All the lonely
people/ Where do they all
come from? /All the lonely
people /Where do they all
belong?” is a question, but is
never answered in the song. It
makes you think and make
your own solution to the
question but I’m not really sure
if there is suppose to be an
answer.
On the third line of Eleanor Rigby “Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in
the church where a wedding has been” This line is telling me she
has a slight desire to have a wedding, and on the next line when
they say “Lives in a dream” It slightly re-enforces that. So I am now
aware that Eleanor Rigby is a dreamer. In this song a metaphor is
used on line 6 “Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps
in a jar by the door” I think what they are saying about Eleanor Rigby
is that it is face of makeup. So lines 3 to 6 tell me Eleanor Rigby is a
dreamer and is a lonely person.
When the choruses is first stated in the song “All the lonely people
/Where do they all come from? /All the lonely people /Where do they
all belong?” It seams almost like a different song, but then I realise
Eleanor Rigby is a lonely person, and therefore wonder where does
she belong?
In the song on line 21 “Father McKenzie wiping the dirt from his
hands as he walks from the grave” It is a metaphor of him washing
away Eleanor Rigby. He is washing it out of his mind of her
loneliness, so he does not feel responsible.
This song is one of my favourite songs the Beatles ever wrote. I like
the way the song is written and how the chorus is in a question. The
lyrics have tons of meaning and it is a spectacular song. I wanted to
present this song because it is one of my favourite Beatles songs
and that is a very well written song.
Questions
1. In the Song how are Father McKenzie and Eleanor Rigby connected
in the song? What lines tell us they are connected?
2. What do they mean when they say “Eleanor Rigby died in the church
and was buried along with her name”, what are they trying to tell us?
3. What is this song about?
4. Why is the song named Eleanor Rigby? What would you re-name it if
you could?
5. What do think the Authors were trying to say when writing the song?