elenor rigby

[elmerfud]

can anyone tell me about the song elenor rigby by the beatles. was it about a traffic warden?

[jennygump]

Hi Elmerfud,

Eleanor Rigby is a song about lonely people, it's "Lovely Rita meter maid" that's the one about a traffic warden.  Lyrics to follow,

Jennygump

Eleanor Rigby
Writers: Lennon, McCartney;  

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
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong? 
 

[londondave]

Altered States do a fantastic cover version of this song

[brachiopod]

"Lovely Rita..." was written about a traffic warden who once gave Paul McCartney a ticket.

The warden's real name was actually Mita (sp? or could have been 'Meta')

Unfortunately Lovely Mita Metre Maid didn't really make sense.

Talk about pre-destined occupations. I remember she retired a few years back and they showed a bit about her on the local news.

[cruthinboy]

I believe the name Eleanor rigby came from a gravestone.

[magicbeatle]

Paul believes that he got the name eleanor from the actress 'Eleanor Bron' who was in their film 'Help'. He also says the name of 'Rigby' comes from a firm he walked past in Bristol in 1966 called Rigby and Evans Ltd.  Their Is also a 'Rigby's' in Liverpool. I for one, believe it is a bit of a coincidence that their is a gravestone to  a 'Eleanor Rigby' who died in 1939 aged 44 years at St Peters Church, Woolton Liverpool. The very same church where Paul first met John in 1957. For a very good book on how the Beatles wrote thier songs, check out 'A hard days write' by 'Steve Turner'.