Beatles ( The ) - Eleanor Rigby

First performance: 16/09/1967

Coverinfo

Bruce covered the song 2 times: 
 
1967-12-27 Teendezvous (Le), New Shrewsbury, NJ
One show, with The Castiles the sole act on the bill. On account of school vacation this was an unusual Wednesday night booking at the club. No confirmed setlist known from this particular show, but these four songs are known to have been performed by The Castiles at a Le Teendezvous gig some time in late 1967. The four known songs includes a version of "Eleanor Rigby", Blues Magoos' "(We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet" and The Doors' "Break On Through (To The Other Side)" and "The End".
 
 
Bruce covered the song with his early band ' the Castiles' .This was grand opening night at The Left Foot, an "over 13, under 18" club located in the recreation centre of St Peter's Episcopal Church at 37 Throckmorton Street. The club was opened by Reverend George Errickson and Reverend Fred Coleman, along with two High School students, Harold Breiner and William Cottrell. Patrons sat on cushions. Sadly The Left Foot had a short existence (seven months). This was the first of only two live appearances by The Castiles at the club - fortunately both appearances were audience recorded by Left Foot Manager (and St Peter’s priest) Fred Coleman on a good quality reel-to reel device. The-mentioned thirteen-song setlist represents The Castiles’ complete song performance in the correct sequence and they are all covers of other artists’ material. Although Springsteen may have started out in mid-1965 singing mostly background vocals, it is clear that by this point Bruce is the band’s focal point. Bruce handles the lead vocals on all songs except 'Eleanor Rigby', 'See My Friends' and The Blues Project’s haunting 'Steve’s Song' (all handled by George Theiss). Tex Vinyard, The Castiles’ manager, is heard introducing the band at the start of the second set. Interestingly the group uses The Yardbirds' instrumental 'Jeff’s Boogie' twice, as both the first set closer and show closer. A recording of Wille Dixon's "You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover" will be officially released on September 23, 2016 on Chapter & Verse, the companion album to Springsteen's autobiography Born To Run. 
 
First set:
 
Second set:
 
  
 

Songinfo

"Eleanor Rigby" is a song by the Beatles, released on the 1966 album Revolver and as a 45 rpm single. It was written primarily by Paul McCartney, and credited to Lennon–McCartney. In 1966, McCartney recalled how he got the idea for his song: 
 
"I was sitting at the piano when I thought of it. The first few bars just came to me, and I got this name in my head ... "Daisy Hawkins picks up the rice in the church". I don't know why. I couldn't think of much more so I put it away for a day. Then the name "Father McCartney" came to me, and all the lonely people. But I thought that people would think it was supposed to be about my Dad sitting knitting his socks. Dad's a happy lad. So I went through the telephone book and I got the name "McKenzie".
 
 
 

Bruce on the artist

 
"The Beatles were cool. They were classical, formal, and created the idea of an independent unit where everything could come out of your garage. The "Meet the Beatles" album cover, those four head shots. I remember, I seen 'em at J. J. Newberry's. It was the first thing I saw when you ran down to the five–and–ten cent store. There were no record stores. There weren't enough records, I don't think, in those days. There was a little set by the toys where they sold a few albums. And I remember running in and seeing that album cover with those four headshots. It was like the silent gods of Olympus. Your future was just sort of staring you in the face. I remember thinking, "That's too cool. I'm never gonna get there, man, never." And then in some fanzine I came across a picture of the Beatles in Hamburg. And they had on the leather jackets and the slick–backed pompadours, they had acned faces. I said, hey, "Wait a minute, those are the guys I grew up with, only they were Liverpool wharf rats." So minus their Nehru jackets and the haircuts – so these guys, they're kids. They're a lot cooler than me, but they're still kids. There must be a way to get there from here.  "
 
 

Lyrics

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?