"Eleanor Rigby" - The Beatles

Another one. Haha.

This song has Paul on lead vocals, with John and George on backup vocals. (Standard Beatles formula.) There's a string octet playing with them - four guys on violin, two on viola and two on cello. I've never heard of a string octet before. I guess this would be considered a sort of chamber orchestra?

The priest's name was originally Father McCartney, but the producers changed it to McKenzie, worried that people would confuse it with Paul's dad, a priest. "Eleanor Rigby" was a common name in the '60s, and seemed suitable for the song's theme of universal lonliness.

The violins and violas are mainly playing staccato notes on the bow. They ARE NOT using pizzicato, or plucking the instruments. I wish I could find the term for this light, short bowing that they're doing. The cellos seem to be the only expressive instruments - they have the legato phrases. This is appropriate to the somber feeling of the piece - to me, cellos evoke feelings of sadness, mourning, depression.

String instruments in general were a good choice in creating the mood, rather than the using the band. I love how the Beatles always choose unique instrumentation for each song - in some songs, like this one, they never play their own instruments. They use instruments that will compliment the mood of the piece well, even if it means using other musicians.

*No intro, but straight into the lyrics:
Ah, look at all the lonely people.
Ah, look at all the lonely people.

*A phrase.
Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice in the church
where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream (HC)

*same repeating phrase, but the violins play double time
Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps
in a jar by the door.
Who is it for? (HC)

*The cellos play very legato passages underneath the violins and violas. Paul sings alone.
*B phrase - creates a contrasting period.
All the lonely people,
where do they all come from? (PAC)
All the lonely people,
where do they all belong? (PAC)

*Back to the a phrase.
Father McKenzie, writing the words of a sermon
that no-one will hear.
No-one comes near. (HC)

*Identical phrase
Look at him working, darning his stocks in the night
when there's nobody there.
What does he care? (HC)

*B phrase
All the lonely people,
where do they all come from? (PAC)
All the lonely people,
where do they all belong? (PAC)

*John and George harmonize with Paul. I LOVE the cello part here - very low and languid.
*B section
Ah, look at all the lonely people.
Ah, look at all the lonely people.

*A phrase
Eleanor Rigby: died in the church
and was buried a long with her name.
Nobody came. (HC)

Father McKenzie: wiping the dirt from his hands
as he walks from the grave.
No one was saved. (HC)

*Combines the B phrase and B section - interesting.
All the lonely people, where do they all come from? (PAC)
(Ah - Look at all the lonely people)
All the lonely people, where do they all belong? (PAC)
(Ah - Look at all the lonely people)