Eleanor Rigby

The Beatles' 'Eleanor Rigby' is a haunting exploration of loneliness and social isolation. Released in 1966 as a part of their album 'Revolver', the song marked a significant departure from the band's earlier pop love songs, delving into darker and more complex themes. The lyrics tell the stories of two characters, Eleanor Rigby and Father McKenzie, who are emblematic of the isolated and forgotten individuals in society.

The song opens with a rhetorical question about the lonely people, setting the stage for a narrative that is both specific and universal. Eleanor Rigby is depicted as a lonely woman who engages in the futile act of picking up rice after a wedding, symbolizing missed opportunities and unfulfilled desires. The 'face that she keeps in a jar by the door' suggests a mask she wears for the outside world, hiding her true feelings of desolation. Father McKenzie, on the other hand, is a clergyman who writes sermons that no one will hear, emphasizing the futility of his efforts and his own isolation within the community.

The chorus repeatedly asks where all the lonely people come from and where they belong, highlighting the pervasive nature of loneliness. The song concludes with the death of Eleanor Rigby in the church, a place that should be a community sanctuary, yet she dies alone and is buried with her name, suggesting that her existence was unnoticed. Father McKenzie's actions after her funeral underscore the lack of connection and the absence of salvation for the characters. The Beatles, through this song, invite listeners to reflect on the societal conditions that create such profound loneliness and the human need for connection and belonging.