Eleanor Rigby- John Lennon

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John Winston Ono Lennon lived from 1940 to 1980 and was a singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He was born in Liverpool, England but was moved to his mother’s older sister’s house because they couldn’t take care of John due to an unstable life. His mom was still around, however, and taught him his first guitar chords and often let him skip school to rehearse with his early bands. John’s ingenuity and ability to twist the language was evident even in the early stages of his life. While at Liverpool College of Art he amused his friends with nonsense songs and parodies. The rock and roll revolution came to England in 1955 that attracted Lennon and his friends mostly because of the antiauthority attitudes and postures. These influences convinced him to form his first band in 1957 called the Black Jacks. While attending an annual performance in Woolton, England in June of 1957, John met Paul McCartney and soon after talking for a little, Paul joined John’s band to start one of the most famous and recognizable bands of all time. (John Lennon, Contemporary Heroes) BACK

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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? NEXT

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Paul McCartney (from Observer Music Monthly November 2008): "When I was a kid I was very lucky to have a real cool dad, a working-class gent, who always encouraged us to give up our seat on the bus for old people. This led me into going round to pensioners' houses. It sounds a bit goody-goody, so I don't normally tell too many people. There were a couple of old ladies and I used to go round and say, 'Do you need any shopping done?' These lonely old ladies were something I knew about growing up, and that was what 'Eleanor Rigby' was about - the fact that she died and nobody really noticed. I knew this went on." BACK

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"Eleanor" from actress Eleanor Bron.

Eleanor Bron acting in a movie.

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He got "Rigby" from a store in Bristol called Rigby and Evens Ltd Wine and Spirit Shippers on 22nd King Street

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Hyperbole: figurative language- A boldly exaggerated statement that adds emphasis without intending to be literally true; an overstatement.

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This line is talking about how people try to escape reality by living on “fantasy island” and not dealing with the harsh truth of life. This could also deal with the famous MLK “I have a dream” speech preached during the same decade which deals with the world being happy and treated equally with no segregation.

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She wears that face so that no one can see the loneliness and emptiness that she feels. It is a false impression that she is giving to everyone that she sees. This song is obviously about feeling lonely and depressed. When Eleanor goes out she tries to make people think that she is cheerful and not all alone. DEPRESSION IN THE U.S. IS RISING!!!! BACK

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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?

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Father Tommy McKenzie, who was the compere (master of ceremonies) at Northwich Memorial Hall.

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Word used during this time period which is just another word for sewing up the holes or rips in a piece of material. Assuming Eleanor told him that she would commit suicide he is darning his socks so that he looks good for the funeral even though he doesn’t really care that Eleanor will die and knows that no one will come to the funeral BACK

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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 all belong?

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LITERARY: Diction: An author's choice of words. Since words have specific meanings, and since one's choice of words can affect feelings.  meaning she murdered herself in the church because she couldn’t deal with life. 

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LITERARY: Couplet- A stanza of two lines, usually rhyming  This means Father McKenzie buried her and not even he will remember her name. 

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LITERARY: Wiping the dirt from your hands is a phrase often used to illustrate that you are going to get rid of something and forget about it. So obviously if the minister at her funeral is that anxious to be rid of her memory then who else is there to care and remember her? BACK

LITERARY: Elegy- A lyric poem lamenting death  The most bone chilling line in this song. This means that there is so many people in this world, yet we are all still lonely and to live a life alone is death. 

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LITERARY: Anaphora- The deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of several successive verses, clauses, or paragraphs  This is the chorus of the song and is trying to tell how many people are in this world, BACK yet we are all still lonely. 

Works Cited