Eleanor Rigby

Eleanor Rigby was written mainly by Paul McCartney with input from the other three Beatles. Paul also sang lead vocal in this successful 1966 release. It was released in August of that year as a double-a-side single with Yellow Submarine. It can be found also on the Revolver album, The Beatles, 1962-1966, The Beatles 1, and the Yellow Submarine sound track album. The group recorded Eleanor Rigby on April 28-29, 1966 in 15 takes. The four Beatles sing on this track, but all the instruments are orchestral strings. This popular Beatles song originally was a nonsense verse called "Ola Na Tungee," who was "blowing his mind in the dark with a pipe full of clay." Paul played it for his friend, Donovan, and then the revisions led the lyrics to be a narrative about someone called "Daisy Hawkins." When he pitched the song to his band members weeks afterward, the main character had changed to "Eleanor Rigby." It is said that "Eleanor" came from the name of the actress Eleanor Bron (who had been involved with the film, Help!), and the "Rigby" from the name of a wine shop in Bristol, near where Paul's girlfriend, Jane, was appearing in a live theatrical production. Like Yesterday, Paul thought that the accompaniment should be strings only. Producer George Martin put the microphones very close to the instruments, creating an electric pick-up effect conventional for rock music, but roundly disliked by the classically-trained musicians.