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
(Ah, look at all the lonely people)
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
(Ah, look at all the lonely people)
Where do they all belong?
A Portrait of Loneliness and Isolation
“Eleanor Rigby” by The Beatles is a haunting meditation on solitude and the overlooked lives within a bustling world. The song’s vivid storytelling introduces Eleanor Rigby, a woman who leads a life marked by routine and invisibility, and Father McKenzie, a priest whose efforts seem unnoticed. The recurring question—”All the lonely people, where do they all come from?”—echoes a universal sense of disconnect, drawing listeners into the quiet tragedies of ordinary people. The poignant narrative and evocative imagery shed light on the human need for connection and the sorrow of lives that pass without recognition.
Song Credits
Songwriters: Paul McCartney, John Lennon
Release Year: 1966
Label: Parlophone