Songwriting Analysis: The Beatles “Eleanor Rigby”

The Beatles: Revolver

Even before we get to the innovative and ground-breaking arrangement, the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” is a gem of a song.  We’ll break down the song’s melody to study these songwriting techniques:

  • Repetitive figure in the melody to reinforce a certain idea
  • Big intervals in key spots to draw listeners’ attention
  • Contrasting gestures among song structures to heighten the sense of drama