I was just wondering if anyone had an opinion on what the song meant...my friend and I came up with a couple of reasonings:  1) They were just singing about how obscure people are.  2) Eleanor Rigby and Father McKenzie were having an affair...I may be completely opposite of the real idea but comments welcome..

Paul had the music of the song written before the lyrics (which was common place). He came up with the verse "Picks up the rice in a church where a wedding has been" and formed the idea that the song would be about lonely people. As for Eleanor,,this was just a name that Paul liked (he said probably because of Eleanor Bron who he knew at the time) and Rigby was a name of a shop that Paul walked past.

Most of us know that Father McCartney was the original thought up name for the priest because it just fit the syllables, but paul didnt want to use McCartney because of his dad. John and Paul went to the phone book and looked at the next name in line after Mccartney,,,,hence McKenzie.

Nothing more to add. Just about lonely people.

I read somewhere that there's actually an Eleanor Rigby buried in the Church's graveyeard where John met Paul in 1957 while playing for the Quarrymen.

Quoted from Bruno, posted April 29, 2004, 1:21pm at here

I read somewhere that there's actually an Eleanor Rigby buried in the Church's graveyeard where John met Paul in 1957 while playing for the Quarrymen.

Tis true.

Right next to Maxwell Edison's grave (not true) 

I understand the basis of the poem....but I was wondering about the lines about Father McKenzie...like "Father McKenzie, writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear, no one comes near.." and "Father McKenzie wiping his hands as he walks from the grave, no one was saved.." any ideas on these lines?

(3)  A funeral speech
    Nobody heard; no one came.
    Eleanor Rigby.

I was just browsing on google...and a page said that the song actually came from a series of haikus like this one..wtf?  i'm confused..

Quoted from Bruno, posted April 29, 2004, 1:21pm at here

I read somewhere that there's actually an Eleanor Rigby buried in the Church's graveyeard where John met Paul in 1957 while playing for the Quarrymen.

And here it is...

This is the gravestone of Eleanor Rigby which was only discovered in the mid-Eighties in the grounds of St Peter's Church, Woolton, Liverpool. It was at a church-organised Garden Fete that John first met Paul on 6th July 1957.




A flyer for the garden fete where John and Paul first met.

that's great, thanks Alan.

When Paul got asked if he chose the name 'Eleanor Rigby' based on that gravestone he said that he didn't know anything about it!! That's weird!

Some other facts about this song:

-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.

-"Father Mackenzie" was originally "Father McCartney." Paul decided he didn't want to freak out his dad and picked a name out of the phone book instead.

-A string section of 4 violins, 2 violas and 2 cellos were used in recording. Paul may have been inspired by the classic composer Vivaldi.

-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.

-The last verse was written in the studio.

-There is a gravestone for an Eleanor Rigby in St. Peter's Churchyard in Wooton, England.
This was originally written as "Miss Daisy Hawkins."

-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.

-Microphones were placed very close to the instruments to create and unusual sound.

-Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin both had hits with cover versions of this.

-Because of the string section, this was difficult to play live, which The Beatles never did.

-On his 2002 Back In The US tour, Paul McCartney played this without the strings.
Keyboards were used to compensate.

-There is also a McKenzie gravestone in Woolton.

Thats really relly interesting.... I wish someone would release a book on annotated beatles lyrics

Quoted from Naoki, posted May 30, 2004, 5:00am at here

Thats really relly interesting.... I wish someone would release a book on annotated beatles lyrics

There's A HARD DAY'S WRITE, by Steve Turner, which gives "the stories behind every Beatles' song". It's a quite interesting book.

thanks ill have to goto barnes & noble to see if i can find it! ^^

i don't really know any of these inside scoops of the beatles so im so interested in this!

stick around for a bevy of info

Quoted from Maria, posted May 30, 2004, 5:24am at here

There's A HARD DAY'S WRITE, by Steve Turner, which gives "the stories behind every Beatles' song". It's a quite interesting book.

Yeah i have this and there is a little on Rigby.  Just lonely people I think.  Good book though

my uncle had a friend John Rigby, and his mom's name was Eleanor...kinda weird but cool

Nice work Bruno. Thanks for sharing. Is that book any good, Herecomesyoursun?

Quoted from Bruno

-On his 2002 Back In The US tour, Paul McCartney played this without the strings.
Keyboards were used to compensate.

Oh goodness, it probably took me about 2- 3 hours to figure out the keyboard part.