Paul McCartney Shares the Haunting Origin Behind 'Eleanor Rigby'
Paul McCartney and John Lennon created a fascinating narrative when they wrote “Eleanor Rigby.” The story revolves around two characters who live tragic lives filled with loneliness. While the story is fictional, the origin behind the track has some truth and a haunting connection that McCartney discovered years later.
“Eleanor Rigby’ is a depressing song by The Beatles, who typically write upbeat, optimistic music. In an interview with GQ, Paul McCartney said that the idea for the story of “Eleanor Rigby” was based on an old lady he knew in his hometown of Liverpool. He thought this idea of a lonely old woman would make for an intriguing character.
“When I was really little, I lived on what we call a housing estate, which is like a project. There were a lot of old ladies,” McCartney explained. “And I enjoyed sitting down with these older ladies because they had these great stories, and in this case, about World War II. One in particular who I used to visit, and I’d go shopping for her, she couldn’t get out. So, I remember her. So, I had that figure in my mind of a sort of lonely old lady.
Source: Ross Tanenbaum/cheatsheet.com
