What are the lyrics to Eleanor Rigby (Beatles) and what do they mean?

Question

found em!

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

Answer 1

Good question, well Paul McCartney got "Rigby" from the name of a store and "Eleanor" from actress Eleanor Bron. He liked the name "Eleanor Rigby" because it sounded natural. McCartney wasn't sure what this song was going to be about until he came up with the line, "Picks up the rice in a church where a wedding has been." That's when he came up with the story an old, lonely woman.
The lyrics were brainstormed among The Beatles. In later years, Lennon and McCartney gave different accounts of who contributed more of the words to this.And one last amazing fact the Beatles didn't play any of the instruments on this all the music came from the string players, who were hired as session musicians.:-D

Answer 2

i think the song is about loneliness and dying alone--quite different from the themes of some of the Beatles' early work

both Eleanor Rigby and Father McKenzie live solitary lives and ironically the only time they interact with one another is after Eleanor dies

thats what i believe the song to be about. the link attached has some interesting facts about the song as well

Answer 3

It's pretty self explanatory, isn't it? Eleanor hangs around the church 'cos she has no friends & nowhere better to hang out. She wears makeup (the face in the jar), but it's not to impress anyone 'cos she's got no friends. Cut to Father Mckenzie, a catholic priest who also has no friends, although his vocation does at least give him something constructive to do with his time (along with the housekeeping tasks such as darning that, when the song was written, would be done by his wife). Maybe the sermon is something striking, a fantasy that his parishioners would never listen to? Maybe the writers are suggesting that if Eleanor & father McKenzie could get it together (despite his not being able to marry her), they could have filled the holes in each other's lives? In this context, the line "No-one was saved" could refer to both Eleanor & father McKenzie losing out 'cos they never get together. Following the same theory- who is the face in the jar for? Who's mentioned for the first time in the next verse- Father McKenzie! Maybe Eleanor wears the makeup to attract Father McKenzie! Anyway, I've got loads of drug reports to write up for tomorrow morning and I've spent waay too much time on YA today! Anyway, Eleanor dies. She's buried and forgotten "buried along with her name"

Answer 4

An old RUM drinking song.

Answer 5

I am sure they are available online. I know that it is a depressing song.

Answer 6

i love this song!! its probally my fav beatles song.

Answer 7

? I hate the beetles