Hey! It’s World Ukulele Day, a perfect time to add to the repertoire. It has been a while since the last Tale, as the Christmas songs kept me busy at the end of 2019, and I had a recital to prepare for as well. Back at it now!
We’re going from the King to the British Invasion. From the Revolver album came a song by the Beatles unlike what they had done before. Eleanor Rigby is about loneliness in old age. Written mainly by Paul McCartney, it details the bleak existence of fictional characters Eleanor Rigby and Father McKenzie, a priest:
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?
Catchy melody. Stark sentiment.
The Beatles sang but did not play any instruments on this song. A string ensemble of session musicians was hired to perform the score written by producer George Martin. Eleanor Rigby incorporated four violins, two violas and two cellos. Released in the summer of 1966 the song made it to number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.
My teacher, Trevor found the music in a guitar book but suggested the arrangement would work for ukulele, especially with the low G string. This is the first recording using my new Audio-Technica 2021 microphone, specifically designed for instruments:
I’ll start working on something new shortly. When the song is done, I’ll add another tale to the saga.