Eleanor Rigby (by The Beatles)

Level: Easy to Medium. Language: Past Simple, Past Continuous, Feelings, Personality, Question Forms

Eleanor Rigby is a song which was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. It
describes the sad life of an old woman who lives alone and the parallel story of a priest
who lives near her. A dark song but considered by many to be The Beatles' best.

Task 1: Listen to the song. Complete the verses with nouns (singular or plural). Complete
the chorus with questions.

Ah, look at all the lonely people

Ah, look at all the lonely people
Verse 1:
Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice
In the church where a _________ has been (a celebration in a church)
(She) lives in a ________ (what do you see when you sleep?)
(She) waits at the _________ , wearing the face (a part of a house)
That she keeps in a jar by the _______ (a part of a house)
Who is it for?
Chorus:
All the lonely people
Where _______________________ ? (complete the question)
All the lonely people
Where ________________________ ? (complete the question)

Verse 2:
Father McKenzie, writing the _______ (what is he writing?)
Of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near.
Look at him working, darning his _______ (what do you wear on your feet?)
In the night when there's nobody there
What does he care?
(repeat Chorus)

Ah, look at all the lonely people

Ah, look at all the lonely people
Verse 3:
Eleanor Rigby, died in the ________ (a building)
And was buried along with her name
Nobody came.
Father McKenzie, wiping the dirt
From his _______ as he walks from the grave ( a part of the body)
No one was saved.
(repeat Chorus)

mini-dictionary:
a jar = a small glass container (e.g. a jar of marmelade)

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a sermon = the part of a Catholic mass when a priest expresses ideas in his own words
darning = repairing clothes (this is an old word. modern English: sewing)
What does he care? = it isn't important for him
to bury = to put something in the ground and cover it with earth
along with = together with
to wipe = to clean
dirt = earth, little dirty particles
a grave = the place in a cemetery where a dead person is buried

Task 2: Use the mini-dictionary to answer these questions about the song.

Verse 1
Why do you think Eleanor picked up the rice?

What is in the jar in Eleanor's house?

What type of person do you think Eleanor is?

Verse 2
What type of person do you think Father Mackenzie is? Why?

Verse 3
What type of event was Eleanor's funeral?

How do you think Father Mackenzie felt? Why?

Chorus
What is the significance of the chorus in relation to the story of the song?

Task 3: Now read this short text about the strange coincidence which was discovered
many years after the song was written. Use to verbs in brackets to complete the gaps
using the Past Simple or the Past Continuous:

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In 1966, Paul McCartney explained how he got the idea for his song: "I was sitting at the
piano when I thought of it. The first part of the melody just came into my head. Then I
started to think of the words". McCartney said he _________ (decide) the name "Eleanor"
because of the actress Eleanor Bron, who had starred with the Beatles in the film Help!.
"Rigby" came from the name of a shop in Bristol city, "Rigby & Evens Ltd, Wine & Spirit
Shippers". Paul McCartney noticed this shop while he ________ (visit) his girlfriend, Jane
Asher, who was an actress and __________ (make) a film in Bristol at the time. In another
interview, he elaborated "I just liked the name. I was looking for a name that sounded
natural. 'Eleanor Rigby' sounded natural." He continued to explain: "Then I ________ (start)
to think of the name of the priest in the song. The name Father McCartney came to mind.
But I thought that people would think it was supposed to be about my Dad, sitting down,
sewing his his socks and feeling lonely. But my Dad is a happy person. So I looked in the
telephone book for an alternative. And I _______ (find) the name "McKenzie".

However, in the 1980s, the grave of a person called Eleanor Rigby was discovered in the
cemetery of St. Peter's Parish Church in Liverpool city, Paul McCartney's hometown. And
a few metres away from that, another grave had the surname "McKenzie" written on
it. When they were teenagers in 1957, Paul McCartney and John Lennon _______ (meet)
each other for the first time at a festival in the gardens of the church next to this cemetery.
During the next few years, they ________ (go) to these gardens regularly in order to
sunbathe and talk about music. In another interview, many years later, McCartney spoke
about this strange coincidence. He was very surprised to discover the existence of these
two graves. He said that maybe it wasn't a coincidence at all - maybe the two names were
connected in his subconscious and that's why they _______ (come) into his head when he
________ (write) the song.

These days, there is a statue of Eleanor Rigby on Stanley Street in Liverpool city centre.
The statue is of a woman sitting down, looking at a little bird. On the wall behind her there
is a small plaque which says: "Eleanor Rigby. Dedicated to All The Lonely People ...".

Text adapted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Rigby

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Answers:
Task 2 -

Verse 1
Why do you think Eleanor picked up the rice?
Maybe she wanted a souvenier of other people's happiness. Or maybe she just wanted to give it to the birds.

What is in the jar in Eleanor's house?

We imagine her make-up is in the jar.

What type of person do you think Eleanor is?

She seems to exist on the periphery. Maybe she is a nervous person who is worried about how other people
see her. She seems very private.

Verse 2
What type of person do you think Father Mackenzie is? Why?
He seems lonely. He seems meticulous, preparing his sermon and repairing his socks. But he also seems
bored. Nobody wants to interact with him.

Verse 3
What type of event was Eleanor's funeral?
It was a cold, official event. She had no family or friends, only the priest who was doing his job.

How do you think Father Mackenzie felt? Why?

He probably felt depresed and desperate. He didn't "save" Eleanor. She had a sad, lonely life and now she
has a sad, lonely death. The priest probably empathises with the situation - maybe he will die in a similar
way.

Chorus
What is the significance of the chorus in relation to the story of the song?
Eleanor and Father Mackenzie live in the same area and they are both very lonely. But there are many,
many people in a similar situation - people without friends or family who feel like they don't belong anywhere.
Maybe Paul McCartney is asking the question: How is this possible?

Task 3 -
decided, was visiting, was making, started, found, met, went, came, was writing