Eleanor Rigby
Echoes of Solitude: Unveiling the Loneliness in 'Eleanor Rigby'
Lyrics
Ah look at all the lonely people
Expresses observation and invites attention to lonely individuals.
Ah look at all the lonely people
Reiterates the call to notice lonely people.
Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice
Introduces Eleanor Rigby, symbolizing a person engaged in mundane tasks.
In the church where a wedding has been
Describes Eleanor picking up rice after a wedding, highlighting a lonely routine.
Lives in a dream
Suggests Eleanor lives in a dream, possibly disconnected from reality.
Waits at the window, wearing the face
Depicts Eleanor waiting at the window, concealing emotions behind a preserved face.
That she keeps in a jar by the door
Describes a jar by the door holding the face, hinting at a facade presented to the world.
Who is it for
Raises a question about the purpose of Eleanor's facade.
All the lonely people
Addresses a broader group of lonely people.
Where do they all come from?
Ponders the origin of loneliness in the collective sense.
All the lonely people
Repeats the question about lonely people, emphasizing the search for belonging.
Where do they all belong?
Asks where lonely people fit in society.
Father McKenzie, writing the words
Introduces Father McKenzie, engaged in an unheard sermon.
Of a sermon that no one will hear
Highlights the isolation of Father McKenzie's words.
No one comes near
Underlines the lack of audience for Father McKenzie's message.
Look at him working, darning his socks
Depicts Father McKenzie mending socks alone, emphasizing solitude.
In the night when there's nobody there
Describes nighttime isolation when there's nobody around.
What does he care
Questions Father McKenzie's emotional state during his solitary tasks.
All the lonely people
Reiterates the theme of loneliness, extending the inquiry to a wider audience.
Where do they all come from?
Ponders the diverse origins of loneliness.
All the lonely people
Repeats the question, emphasizing the universality of loneliness.
Where do they all belong?
Asks about the place or community where lonely individuals belong.
Ah look at all the lonely people
Repeats the call to observe and empathize with lonely individuals.
Ah look at all the lonely people
Reiterates the plea to look at lonely people.
Eleanor Rigby, died in the church
Announces Eleanor Rigby's death in a church, adding a somber note.
And was buried along with her name
Describes Eleanor's burial and the symbolic burial of her identity.
Nobody came
Highlights the lack of attendees at Eleanor's funeral, emphasizing isolation.
Father McKenzie, wiping the dirt
Depicts Father McKenzie dealing with the aftermath, wiping dirt from his hands.
From his hands as he walks from the grave
Describes Father McKenzie walking away from the grave, perhaps feeling a sense of futility.
No one was saved
Conveys a sense of hopelessness, suggesting no one was saved.
All the lonely people
Ponders the origin of loneliness, continuing the exploration.
Where do they all come from?
Repeats the question about the diverse sources of lonely people.
All the lonely people
Reiterates the search for belonging, questioning where lonely people fit.
Where do they all belong?
Concludes the song by posing the overarching question of where lonely people belong in society.
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