Tag: Eleanor Rigby

Eleanor Rigby One of The Lonely People

I’ll be honest I never understood the appeal of The Beatles and most likely never will. More than likely its just a Generational Difference I would imagine.

Now DO NOT GET ME WRONG though I do not understand nor like The Beatles DOES NOT NIGATE the fact that to Their credit The Beatles were Extremely Talented Musicians who’s Music made them Rich and Internationally Famous. Not only that but Their Music and Musical Accomplishments still hold significant relevance to this very Day.

There is in fact ONLY ONE SINGULAR Beatles song that I do like (well sort of, I’ll explain that later in the post) and that would be Their song “Eleanor Rigby”, and as for the rest of Their Catalog I couldn’t possibly care less.

   

The funny thing is way, way back in the Day I took an intensive 8 week English Literature Class when I was Temporarily a Collage Student. On the first day of the Class the Professor handed out the Lyrics for The Beatles’s song “Eleanor Rigby”, asked Us to simply Read it, and then write Our Thoughts/Impressions Down.

I found it a rather interesting Exorcise. YES this an exact Recreation of that exact Exorcise. And NO it’s not Identical since I lost the Original Paper long, long ago.

Several Months after the Class ended I was fucking around checking out Bands I’d never heard of in an attempt to find the last real Musicians (that is if They even still exist).

   

I noticed one of the New Bands on My Musical Radar had Recorded a Cover of “Eleanor Rigby” so I figured I’d listen to it since I had never ACTUALLY heard the Song. I hit play, listened to the entire song, and rather liked it.

Weeks or possibly Months after listening to the Cover thought it would make sense to listen to The ORIGINAL Beatles Version of “Eleanor Rigby” which I promptly did. After I listen to the entire song thought it was quite amusing that while I disliked the Original I enjoyed the Cover of It.

   

I have found out through the Years that there a PLENTY of additional songs that I despise , BUT for some unknown reason (at least to Me) I really get a kick out of Certain COVERS of said song. It’s sort of a Thing I’ve come to understand since meeting and talking to People who have the same similar affinity for the Covers over the Original songs.  Anyways I digress.

“Eleanor Rigby”  By The Beatles

Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely peopleEleanor 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?
     
Eleanor picking up the Rice after a Wedding is symbolic of Her chronic Loneliness. Weddings are one of if Not the most Happiest Events of a Person’s Life (Possibly only second to the Birth of a Child. At least that’s what the fuck People with Kids Claim as Those without Kids may feel completely different about it.), Yet Eleanor isn’t a Wedding Guest or Member of The Wedding Party. Eleanor seems to pick up the Rice while Day Dreaming about what it must be like to be that Loved.
The Listener then learns that Eleanor is so lonely that she literally waits chronically looking out the Window for any Visitor at all as Eleanor doesn’t have Friends, Family or even Acquaintances who would stop by say Hello and see how She is.
The “Face in a Jar” is a rather dated social reference as its a play on the saying “I have to put My face on…” which is a rather Old School phrase that Women used to express/indicate She isn’t wearing Makeup thus She is Unprepared for Company.
Lastly Eleanor’s loneliness is confirmed with the question “Who is it For?” as though Eleanor remains poised and ready for Company there isn’t Anyone coming to pay Her a visit.
All the lonely people

Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

Here the Song Writer is making an inquiry through question. Either They are curious as too Who are all these so called “Lonely People” They have/are Observing. It also could be more of a depressing lament questioning more over as to Why are there “Lonely People” period.

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?

Father McKenzi apparently a lone Priest in a Parish without Petitioners, and what is a Church without a congregation? And if the Church remains vacant why would Father McKenzi bother putting in the Time and Effort  writing an entire presumably Sunday Sermon if there’s No One to Hear it as apparently “No One Comes Near”?

It’s the same reason Father McKenzi would take the time to sew the holes in his socks when he is the only Person in the Church. He’s lonely and needs to fill his day with things outside of  the Human Contact he is lacking to keep sane, and to keep from falling into a crippling depression. The Sermon(s) and Socks are both ways Father McKenzi combats the overwhelming Alienation he faces on a Daily basis.

   

This is the significant difference between Father McKenzi and Eleanor Rigby. Father McKenzi finds some solace in his daily activities be it in writing Sermons or performing routine mundane tasks at least he is being some what pro active to dealing with His loneliness. Meanwhile Eleanor opts to sit solely focusing on if Someone will or won’t being stopping by to see Her.

(I have removed The Chorus Here as I have NOTHING Else to Say that I haven’t already pertaining to “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

     

Eleanor dies with nothing to show for her life, but her name. And just as in Life No One Comes to visit Eleanor in Death as not a single Person attended her funeral. Eleanor literally died alone.

Father McKenzi not only presided over Eleanor’s funeral, but the fact he is wiping dirt from his hands as he’s walking away from Eleanor’s grave implies Father McKenzi also Dug the Grave himself. So in the End Eleanor didn’t even have a Grave Digger to give a shit about Her or Her passing.

The irony is that Eleanor Rigby and Father McKezi lived in the same area and yet never met. That to Me is the most  tragic of all. If the Two Sad Souls had had the chance to meet they would have been the Cure for each Others Loneliness, and Improved the Quality of both Their Lives.

   

I believe that is what the song Writer is ultimately trying to convey in Eleanor who spent her Life craving Human Contact dies alone, and in the end is buried by the equally Lonely Father McKenzi.

(I cut the song Off before the Last Chorus as I stated earlier  I  NOTHING NEW to Write about it.)

Thanks for Reading,

  By Les Sober