Beatles: Eleanor Rigby Meaning
Song Released: 1966
Eleanor Rigby Lyrics
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a weddng
has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by
the door
Who is...
-
1TOP RATED
anonymous Jan 9th 2010, 03:55 report
This song is about loneliness, as given away by the line "Ah, look at all the lonely people."
My interpretation of the song is: Eleanor Rigby is an elderly woman who either never got married or lost her spouse. She cleans up after weddings in the church, which could only add to her loneliness. She is living "in a dream" because she wants to find love and friendship to be happy. As far as waiting by the window, I always saw her in her house, alone, smiling to passersby but feeling desperately alone inside. "A face that she keeps in a jar by the door" would mean her facade; she smiles to hide her misery.
Next, I see Father McKenzie as an older gentleman who is also lonely. His parish doesn't frequent his sermons as much lately, or he just doesn't feel the same comfort he used to, in the line "writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear." "No one comes near," to me, refers to his correct thought that his sermon goes mainly unheard. Or, and I just thought of this, it could refer to changing times, and how not as many people are dedicated to the church and God as in years past, which saddens him. He is sewing up ("darning") his socks, but he knows no one will really pay attention to him anyway, so "what does he care" if his socks are holy? (No pun intended, I promise.)
The next lines could indicate that Eleanor died in the church, maybe of heartbreak, or just of old age, but I see it as more of a sad irony...Eleanor was a churchgoer that needed a companion as much as the priest did, but both were so caught up in their troubles that they didn't find each other in time. ("No one was saved" would mean that neither soul was able to reach out to save the other, "buried along with her name" would mean Eleanor was soon forgotten because nobody knew her, and Father McKenzie "wipes the dirt off his hands as he walks from the grave" because he doesn't think much of his duty because he is caught up in his sorrow.)
Overall, Eleanor was depressed/alone and hid it, Father Mckenzie was sad/lonely and hid it, and both were too distracted by their own self-pity to realize each other and reach out. -
2TOP RATED
lcurtis.2006 May 18th 2006, 18:28 report
This song is obviously about feeling lonely and depressed. When Eleanor goes out she tries to make people think that she is happy and not all alone.
"Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door"
She wears that face so that no one can see the lonliness and emptiness that she feels. It is a false impression that she is giving to everyone that she sees
You can tell from this story that no one even cared about her. When she died no one even came to the funeral.
"Father McKenzie writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear. No one comes near."
Even the minister doesn't care to be at her funeral. He wants to get it over with and go on with his life as if it doesn't matter to all.
"Father McKenzie wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave. No one was saved"
(Wiping the dirt from your hands is a phrase often used to illustrate that you are going to get rid of something and forget about it. So obviously if the minister at her funeral is that anxious to be rid of her memory then who else is there to care and remember her.) -
3TOP RATED
FREETBT Sep 3rd 2008, 11:36 report
Eleanor Rigby is a song about wanting to reach out to people. These people are all lost. I don't know who they are. You don't know them. Do we even care? All these lost people in the world are voiceless. Forget about them, RIGHT?
Ah look at all the lonely people.
WHERE DO THEY ALL COME FROM?
Eleanor is forgotten, nobody cares about her. She disguises her sadness and her longing with the face by her window. She doesn't literally put on a mask or someone elses face, but she puts on a face to fit society. We don't care to see sad people, to be bothered by their problems. We have our own problems. Father McKenzie doesn't care that he buried Rigby. I mean, she's dead right. Nobody came for her, nobody cared. She is just another dead body.
How many people do we see out on the street that will just become "another dead body?" No one comes near? Why is it that we don't care? Have we really forgotten how to care for those that we don't know? Eleanor Rigby really puts this into perspective that there are the lonely people, and they are lonely indeed. She wears this mask, but it is only a cover. Eleanor is waiting for someone, but she is scarred in her heart by her lonely life. And sadly enough, she is an afterthought in her death. Fr. McKenzie writes her sermon in his socks, late at night. She was buried alng with her name, no one will remember her.
LOOK AT ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE!!
KNOW THAT SOMEONE YOU IGNORE, A FELLOW STUDENT, A COWORKER, THE HOMELESS, KNOW THAT THEY ARE LONGING FOR LOVE. LONELINESS IN ITS TRUEST FORM IS SO PAINFUL, AND IT IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE IGNORED, ONLY MASKED WITH A FACE KEPT BY THE DOOR!! -
anonymous Mar 11th, 13:40 report
This song is mainly about two lonely people who never awknoledge anyone but themself because they live a lonely life. They both also hide their sadness and feel very lonely inside.
-
Pyrohybrid Feb 24th, 14:27 report
Both Eleanor Rigby and Father Mckenzie are two names that lennon and mccartney randomly through into a song for no apparant reason. They later traced the names back to 2 grave stones in Liverpool graveyard which they spent alot of their times in when they were younger. It is thought those 2 names were mearly names that stuck in their minds and never gave any thought to the origin. These graves are now shrines to the beetles legends.
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anonymous Feb 14th, 16:02 report
what are you lot on? very simply written in response to Mc Cartneys Penny Lane (about a bus route)Lennon wrote Eleanor Rigby. The church where John had been a choirboy for a very short period as a boy, close to his home ,close to where he and Paul would meet had a small graveyard ,of which he was very familiar. Eleanor Rigby is a name on one of the grave stones "buried along with her name" because her husbands name was Woods ,not Rigby. Father Mackenzie was exactly that on another grave, a father of children buried with him! not a priest, "all the lonely people " was an idea from George. So it goes that the song although melodic and sad is retrospective of Johns quite sad moment in time, roughly when his mother had been killed an a car crash, finding solace in a church yard, and in time the inspiration to this song. The words have feeling yes and a level of meaning, but not as deep as you would wish to explore
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anonymous Dec 28th 2012, 15:42 report
I think the song is about a creepy nun who wears a mask. Then he dies and no one comes to her funeral because she was so creepy.
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anonymous Aug 19th 2012, 08:14 report
I agree with most of the comments that have been made so far, and I can't add much more. One thing I can say, though, is that someone who could write such an amazing song has to be a god! And that's what I think of The Beatles.
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anonymous Aug 9th 2012, 22:24 report
This is what I thought:
Eleanor is mentally ill."Look at all the lonely people! Where do they all come from?" is not a lament about her but her actual thoughts. Father Mckenzie is not only a preacher but her actual father, and he killed her in the church and literally buried her... "wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave." He could have murdered her because he is lonely. No one can come near him because Eleanor lives with him and he's keeping her to himself because he thinks it would be better for her ("no one was saved" implies he thought he was saving Eleanor by disposing of her.) Or he could have killed her because he's mentally ill, too. -
anonymous Jul 17th 2012, 00:04 report
I feel this song is about eleanor's pure loneliness. During the first verse
Eleanor rigby picks up the rice in a church where a wedding had been
Eleanor is lonely and feels outcast. No one loves her.
She lives in a dream. She. Dreams of having a life. While she masks her true feelings in public she is very lonely.
Father mckenzie writing the words of a sermon that no one will here.he knows no one will come to eleanors funeral. He writes on anyway.darning his socks in the night to look presentable although no one will be coming.
Eleanor rigby died in a church she committed suicide because of how lonely she was(which father mckenzie knew)
And was buried along with her name she was never talked about again. She was forgotten.
Nobody came(that line explains itself)
Father mckenzie wiped of the dirt from his hands as he walked from her grave.hes closing her ceremony. No one came and he's glad he's over it. -
anonymous Jul 7th 2012, 18:40 report
Hello I wanted to add about my comment - "All the lonely people - where do they all come from? :)
Before I'll start writing about the song and its meaning, I must apologize for my English (you see, I don't speak this language in my country so.... haha :D)
"Elinor Rigby picks up the rise in a church when a wedding has been. Lives in a dream.."
So who's this Elinor Rigby?
Well, obiviously , she's a lonely person.
Why?
There might be several and optional reasons for her being lonely-
First, she had a bad or mean behavior, so nobody wanted to be with her.
Furthermore, she was rich and prefered to live alone - "lives in a dream".
However, I believe she was poor and miserable - "Elinor Rigby PICKS UP THE RISE in a church..."
She didn't have much money to pay for food so she picked up the rise from the wedding for her living. She was lonely, mabey, because she had no family, and because of her being poor- she didn't have friends.
And what about Father McKanzie?
Well, seems like he was a lonely person too.
"Father McKanzie writing the words of seremon that no one will hear, no one comes near" - from these lyrics (and his name) we can understand he worked at a church.
Yet, I think he chose to live that way-
"...look at him working, darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there. WHAT DOES HE CARE" - He does not care of being alone. Mabey he was poor because he was darning his socks in the night and cannot buy new ones? (and mabey it was his hobby? :DD)
Hey, do you rememeber the "no one was saved"?
Well we can all guess what happend. The problem with this sentence is that if F.Mckanzie and Elinor were lonely people so does the "no one" talk about Elinor and F.McKanzie or mabey the people who were in that wedding?
God I LOVE this song!! :-)
What's the connection between Father McKanzie and Elinor Rigby?
*They were both lonely
*They were both at the same, probably, church.
So this song actually talks about miserable and poor people who live by themselves only, and Father McKanzie & Elinor Rigby were only examples of those lonely people.
Does this song tell us that these lonely people are choosing to be lonely? Why? How? When?- what?
In conclusion, the Elinor Rigby song is an interesting creation by the Beatles. The band tried to make us think little more than the usual. If we all think about it, mabey it says we should never be alone, because we will be unhappy and helpless (and live in peace hehe)."
The song says "wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door. Who is it for?"
I think "the face" she "keeps in a jar by the door" is make up. But no one will see her (lonely person) so who is it for? -
anonymous Jun 14th 2012, 22:22 report
Eleanor is one of the many sad individuals that all have to over come something...But not everyone has the strength to overcome their problem. Eleanor is one of these people. Her depression, loneliness, and heartache were too hard to bare. She always wore a fake smile or expression for the people but seeing the fact that no one actually cared she let go. Just as the priest did as he buried her lifeless body with no remorse. I believe she killed herself to be rid herself of the depression. I think the moral of this song is too pay more attention to people, because no matter how they may look it may not be as it seems.
-Sincerely, Rebel Of The Status Quo -
anonymous Jun 7th 2012, 17:34 report
All the lonely people - where do they all come from? :)
Before I'll start writing about the song and its meaning, I must apologize for my English (you see, I don't speak this language in my country so.... haha :D)
"Elinor Rigby picks up the rise in a church when a wedding has been. Lives in a dream.."
So who's this Elinor Rigby?
Well, obiviously , she's a lonely person.
Why?
There might be several and optional reasons for her being lonely-
First, she had a bad or mean behavior, so nobody wanted to be with her.
Furthermore, she was rich and prefered to live alone - "lives in a dream".
However, I believe she was poor and miserable - "Elinor Rigby PICKS UP THE RISE in a church..."
She didn't have much money to pay for food so she picked up the rise from the wedding for her living. She was lonely, mabey, because she had no family, and because of her being poor- she didn't have friends.
And what about Father McKanzie?
Well, seems like he was a lonely person too.
"Father McKanzie writing the words of seremon that no one will hear, no one comes near" - from these lyrics (and his name) we can understand he worked at a church.
Yet, I think he chose to live that way-
"...look at him working, darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there. WHAT DOES HE CARE" - He does not care of being alone. Mabey he was poor because he was darning his socks in the night and cannot buy new ones? (and mabey it was his hobby? :DD)
Hey, do you rememeber the "no one was saved"?
Well we can all guess what happend. The problem with this sentence is that if F.Mckanzie and Elinor were lonely people so does the "no one" talk about Elinor and F.McKanzie or mabey the people who were in that wedding?
God I LOVE this song!! :-)
What's the connection between Father McKanzie and Elinor Rigby?
*They were both lonely
*They were both at the same, probably, church.
So this song actually talks about miserable and poor people who live by themselves only, and Father McKanzie & Elinor Rigby were only examples of those lonely people.
Does this song tell us that these lonely people are choosing to be lonely? Why? How? When?- what?
In conclusion, the Elinor Rigby song is an interesting creation by the Beatles. The band tried to make us think little more than the usual. If we all think about it, mabey it says we should never be alone, because we will be unhappy and hapless (and live in peace hehe). -
anonymous Apr 14th 2012, 16:59 report
she lives in a dream-she would loved to be named and wants to have the happy life.
waits at the window(watches the world)-its between her and the perticipation of the world itself.shes waiting for the world to come at her but she doesnt seem to be perticipating in it
wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door -
anonymous Apr 12th 2012, 00:27 report
I believe it's about what are lonely ppl are doing in our world and even though they may not exist in our eyes they still are ppl.
Also they are here to help each other and they have all have a part in this world. Eleanor cleans the rice. Father writes sermons. Who cares? They do. They are the behind the scenes doing all the dirty work. When Eleanor died father buried her bec he felt her pain. Ironically they were never alone. -
anonymous Mar 24th 2012, 21:58 report
I think its about how Elanor Rigby is a depressed person. She trys to look happy when she's out, but she never really is, and she is sad again when she's at home."Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door" It seems that she is looking at her hopes that never will actually happen to her."Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a weddng/has been/Lives in a dream"
The part ("Father McKenzie writing the/words of a sermon that no one will hear/
No one comes near.") Was written because during the time that this song was written, there were very few religious people who actually went to church.
The part when she dies is very sad. No one comes to her funeral(which shows that she is a "lonely person") and the preacher wipes the dirt from his hands and walks away like he doesn't care about her and that he's just glad that its over with. -
anonymous Mar 18th 2012, 03:10 report
Despite having a near, "here's the church, here's the people, open the door and see all the people" similarity, the comparative metaphorical context is much more significant.
Perhaps I hear the satirical and darkly humorous underpinnings since I am a product of the 60's school of thought and not it's promoter. I also have not centralized an entire thesis upon the revolutionary concepts that music delivered during that era with the emergence of The Beatles though I have read-up on the subject some though not as extensively as others, obviously. I was much more concerned with how the black culture of the south influenced the product through the sum of parts which consequently was a marked revolutionary event in and of itself. Southern charm is also an influencial school of thought programed by the establishment into the minds of the feebile, though in "charm school" I once pointed this out and (as usual) was shunned by my peers. Since I know this will not see the light of day I will continue:
Just as Elenor (Roosavelt?)leaves her face/facade at the door, the church is also a facade...what people see; the exterior. Open the doors and see something completely different.
Why in a jar at the door as if something you grab on the way out? Because there is protection within the false projection of what is socially acceptable. This is not unique in the least bit for we all put in our false teeth to be able to chew whatever slop we're given by the world.
The melencholy lament for a saviour becomes a religious allusion that superseeds not only the times but the song itself...it isn't the pathetic longings of a lonely Elenor or of Father McKenzie who disdainfully works to lead the lost flock there, it's about living life in vain.
To some extent we all avoid compacency, it's human to set goals and to dream and strive toward thoses goals and dreams. Misery lies in waiting by a window with a false sense of the future and in obediently working for nothing, for the name that Elenor worked for is the name on the headstone that was all in a days work for the man who worked so hard to pave the way for dear Elenor to be "saved."
Who is it for?! EACHOTHER, and so the point is missed! It isn't for a saviour of any kind...there is a gap that can never be filled! Thanks to the Me Generation the Why Me Generation has to fill it all in.
Ok, and for shits and giggles...why is it that Father McKenzie darns his sock in the night when no one is near? Is it to keep his hands clean? Bahaha! -
anonymous Mar 18th 2012, 00:32 report
I agree with all the interpretations but i feel that Father McKenzie is also a lonely person. no one talks to him while he writes his sermon, no one pays attention to his sermon either. he also spends nights alone
"donning his socks in the night when there's nobody there"
the end of the song brings the two lonely people togther... -
anonymous Feb 13th 2012, 04:01 report
It's about loneliness; fairly obvious really.
I can't believe that #2 actually thinks that she commits suicide - where exactly is THAT suggested in the song?!?! -
UndiscoveredGenius Jan 14th 2012, 02:07 report
I think the song deals with the grim realities of seemingly "perfect" lives. On the surface, Eleanor Rigby seems to enter into a picturesque life of love and marriage to be broken by the realization that the grass was not as green as it appeared. After the years progress, she realizes she wears (lives) a facade intended to deceive, and wonders 'what is the point?'
Father McKenzie forgoes a life of companionship and intimacy to spread messages of a greater good, to no avail. "Darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there/ what does he care?" - He distracts himself with pointless details to occupy his time and defer his attention from the reality of his personal isolation (and the futility of his efforts to reach people like Eleanor, who would most likely be seated in the congregation daydreaming about the life she could be living if she hadn't "picked up the rice" left after the wedding - implicitly a life left for the birds.
This song on a broader level is a satirical lambast of the most altruistic concepts and questions the meaning of life itself. I don't think the intent was to bash marriage and religion specifically. These are metaphors that serve as the vehicles of destruction for so many well-intentioned people who live pitiful, forgettable lives. The resounding theme is despair; the mastery is that it is communicated in a way that is both timeless and hauntingly beautiful. -
anonymous Jan 10th 2012, 20:09 report
To me, this song tells me stories about two people no one cared about.
Hence the third and fourth lines, Eleanor works at a church and dislikes her job, because she sees many weddings, and she's jealous. She probably puts on makeup to impress men on the street, but it doesn't work, and she stays single. Hence the second verse, Father Mckenzie writes a sermon that no one will come to, maybe because the church isn't very wellknown. He obviously works for a long time on it. Hence the third verse, Eleanor died and no one cared, unhappily. Father Mckenzie himself wrote the sermon that no one came to listen to, but didn't care at all about Eleanor. All in all, it's about the world being ignorant and people being ignorant of others' needs. And perhaps the church was an all-black church, or Eleanor and Father Mckenzie were black themselves. That would explain why no one cared about them. -
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anonymous Nov 22nd 2011, 03:10 report
Uhm...I like how no one ever picks up on the words "No one was saved". In Catholic faith, you cannot be saved if you committed suicide. And since this is a song that is about loneliness, and loneliness often leads to suicide, that is the inevitable outcome of this tragedy.
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Songs about Death
Songs about Depression
Emotions: Sad Songs
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