Eleanor Rigby

The composition of "Eleanor Rigby" was a collaborative process within The Beatles. McCartney wrote the melody and the first verse, and then presented it to the rest of the group at John Lennon's house. There, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, along with Pete Shotton, a childhood friend of Lennon's, listened to the song and contributed ideas. George Harrison suggested the hook "Ah, look at all the lonely people", and Ringo Starr contributed the line "writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear", as well as proposing that the character "Father McCartney" knit his own socks. It was Pete Shotton who suggested changing the priest's name to avoid confusion with McCartney's father. This song marked a turning point in The Beatles' career, moving away from their pop and rock and roll sound to explore more experimental and studio-based territories. The recording, which took place in April and June 1966 at EMI, London, featured a string quartet arrangement, and it was the first time that none of the band members played their instruments on a recording; the instrumental parts were performed by session musicians. The producer was George Martin. "Eleanor Rigby" was released as a single alongside "Yellow Submarine" and was part of the album Revolver, released on August 5, 1966.