Eleanor Rigby
Lennon/McCartney
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
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
Interpretation
The theme of this song is certainly not subtle: it's about lonely people. But stating
it thus doesn't do justice to what the Beatles were really saying. A closer
inspection reveals that this song examines why the lonely people are lonely.
The song has two characters, Eleanor Rigby and Father McKenzie. These two are
connected by the church, in this case the actual church that Father McKenzie
preaches at and Eleanor Rigby cleans. She is -- and this is not apparent
immediately -- a custodian in this church. How do we know that she's the
custodian? Well, she picks up rice after weddings...that's a clue. And she died in
the church...that's another clue.
At this point, it's good to ask students, if Eleanor Rigby is a custodian, why did
the Beatles choose the post-wedding cleanup as the one image showing this?
Students usually will quickly come to realize that this image reflects the "dream"
she lives in: she wants to marry.
Here's where I tell my classes, artists never choose details indiscriminately.
Every description is a clue, a symbol, a piece of the jigsaw puzzle. That is, often,
the difference between good art and mediocre art. Mediocre artists often cannot
tell you why they chose this detail or that shade of coloring; it just felt right.
Great artists know why they do what they do.
Back to the song. Eleanor's dream is further developed in the strange line
"wearing a face that she keeps in a jar by the door." This is a great line to have
students puzzle over. Eventually, with a little nudging, they'll see that this face is
probably the face that she puts on to look beautiful, the jar being the makeup jar
from which the face comes. She waits each night by her door, waiting for a
caller, all prettied up with no one to notice. When students see this, they really
have pity for this woman.
Meanwhile, there is another pitiful character: Father McKenzie. Though he has a
higher station in life than Eleanor Rigby (priest versus custodian), he is no more
successful. No one listens to his sermons; no one is saved by his words. And
here's something interesting: he is doing what then would be thought of as
women's work (darning his socks) while she does what men usually did in the
1960s. It might seem that both these two should get together but this is
impossible. The church, in fact, makes it impossible for priests cannot marry.
Having considered this much of the song, it's appropriate to ask students: who is
responsible for all the loneliness. It is, as the chorus shows, a question the Beatles
ask ("Where do they all come from?"). The quick and easy answer is that it's no
one's fault, it's just a sad reality. But there are some troubling questions. Why
doesn't Father McKenzie at least befriend Eleanor? Shouldn't the shepherd of a
church see that he has a dreaming, lonely woman sitting back there, wedding after
wedding? Doesn't he know this woman? And at her funeral, it seems the only
thing he's concerned about is his unsuccessful sermon. "Wiping the dirt from his
hands" even seems to suggest he's washing his hands of responsibility to this
lonely woman.
With these things in mind a spirited discussion usually develops over who is
responsible for living a lonely life. Perhaps it's the lonely people themselves.
Perhaps it's institutions such as the church. Perhaps it's the inconsiderateness of
others.
What is meant by the line "Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along
with her name"? This has a twofold answer: that she is childless and friendless.
It's hard for me to tell if Lennon and McCartney are issuing an indictment of
religion in this song, but it seems to lurk beneath the surface. One thing is certain:
this seemingly simple and beautiful song is a work of poetic art. I assure you,
your students will agree with that assessment.
Poetic devices
Repetition is a powerful device in this poem. The word "lonely" appears 10 times
in this short song. The use of the rhetorical question is also used strongly. It
suggests that the Beatles don't have all the answers, just the observations of
loneliness.
This song shows assonance to a nice effect. The sustained "Ah" sound softens the
tone, creates a tragic effect.
Imagery is this song's strong suit as well. Picking up rice, darning socks, wiping
one's hands: these are clear and powerful images.
"Wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door" is a striking metaphor for a
cosmetically-dressed up face. "Lives in a dream" is another metaphor.
Consonance of the "L" sound is echoed in the line "Ah, Look at aLL the LoneLy
peopLe." Perhaps this is unintentional, but it's there nonetheless.
Musical impact
This song is one where a good discussion about the importance of musical devices
is in order. Anyone can hear the importance of the strings, both the violins and
the cellos. Played with electric guitars, this song would have been a cartoon.
The use of harmony on the chorus is particularly striking. It's like a sad cry, a
lamentation almost. Then counterbalancing that is the solo voice in the verses.
This is clear singing, easy to hear the words and see the images.
It's interesting to point out to students that this song has an end, a note of finality.
Many rock songs just do fade outs. By having a definite end, we are brought to a
conclusion just as Eleanor Rigby's life is terminated. The last words spoken are a
question.