Posted on 07/28/2014 2:34:23 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
The words, familiar to countless millions around the world, are among the most poignant in popular music: 'Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along with her name; nobody came.'
Set to a haunting melody by Lennon and McCartney and backed by a string octet masterfully arranged by George Martin, the song broke new ground with its heartrending refrain: 'All the lonely people, where do they all come from?'
Its funereal orchestration and bleak message of isolation, depression and desolation were a far cry from the upbeat hits the public had come to expect from The Beatles - yet it climbed straight to number one and changed the face of pop music in the process.
Since its release 40 years ago, the tragic heroine of this two-minute masterpiece has become a source of endless fascination for Beatles' enthusiasts.
Indeed, interest is so strong that next week a 1911 salary ledger from Liverpool City Hospital bearing the details of 'E. Rigby', a 14-year-old scullery maid, is expected to fetch up to £500,000 at auction.
In truth, this unknown teenager almost certainly had nothing to do with the much-loved song. (In all likelihood her first name was not Eleanor, and Sir Paul McCartney, who donated the item to charity having been sent it by a fan, concedes that she had no bearing on the process of composition.)
In a neat churchyard in the leafy Liverpool district of Woolton, however, lies the final resting place of the real Eleanor Rigby - the woman widely regarded as the subconscious inspiration behind the classic song.
It was here, at the St Peter's Church fete, that John Lennon and Paul McCartney met for the first time.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
For trivia buffs only
They stole the strings on this song from Bernard Herrmann’s music for Psycho.
Hmm...is that established? It would have been George Martin, anyway.
Still, it’s a beautiful song. I wonder if it’s ever been rerecorded. Without the powerful violins the song is very simple.
Except that, when you read the article there is no basis for this except the theory that the headstone was seen by Lennon and affected his subconscious. The article says McCartney has given various other explanations over the years.
When the song came out, I thought it sounded Eastern European—certainly not like anything else the Beatles had done.
I figured that Eleanor Rigby was a Soviet espionage agent who might have been the case officer for Father McKinsey, an American Communist who had infiltrated the Catholic Church. Eleanor was probably killed by the KGB when they learned that she was about to testify before HUAC.
I love this kind of stuff...fascinating.
I’m pretty sure he admitted it.
Same thing with the Allman Brothers’ “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.” They just saw the name on a headstone and used it in a song.
Yes, I googled and he admits being influenced by Psycho. Interesting, thanks for pointing it out!
Here’s the complete Psycho theme:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMTrVgpDwPk
Which part of the theme did Martin copy ( starting from what minute and second of the video?)
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