Aretha Franklin

Released: January 15, 1970

Songwriter: Lennon-McCartney John Lennon Paul McCartney

Producer: Tom Dowd Arif Mardin Jerry Wexler

[Verse 1]
I'm Eleanor Rigby
I picked up the rice in the church where the weddings have been, yeah
I'm Eleanor Rigby
I'm keeping my face in a jar by the door
If you want to know what is it for, Well

[Chorus]
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

[Verse 2]
Father McKenzie
Writing the words to a sermon
That no one will hear
No one comes near
Look at him working
Knotting his socks in the night
What does he care, yeah

[Chorus]
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
Yeah

[Bridge]
(Eleanor) Mhm
(Eleanor Rigby) Mhm, yeah
(Eleanor) Eleanor, yeah
(Eleanor Rigby) Mhm, mhm

[Verse 3]
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

[Chorus]
All of the lonely people
Where do, where do they come from?
All over the world, the lonely, lonely, lonely people
Where do, where do they all belong?

[Outro]
The lonely (Eleanor)
Only the lonely know (Eleanor Rigby)
Woo hoo, the lonely (Eleanor)
Only the lonely people know (Eleanor Rigby)
Just like Eleanor Rigby
Eleanor Rigby
Only the lonely
Yeah, the lonely, yeah

Aretha Franklin is both a 20th and 21st century musical and cultural icon known simply by her first Aretha. She is the reigning and undisputed “Queen Of Soul” with a legacy that spans five decades. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Aretha began her career singing gospel at her father, minister C. L. Franklin’s church as a child. In 1960, at the age of 18, Aretha embarked on a secular career, recording for Columbia Records with modest success.

After moving to Atlantic Records in 1967, she released a steady string of US top ten hits through 1973 including “Spanish Harlem”, “Chain Of Fools”, “Baby I Love You”, “Since You’ve Been Gone”, “Daydreaming”, “The House That Jack Built”, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", ”Think“ and her first chart-topper “Respect” – a song that also won Aretha her first of 18 Grammys. During this time, several of her songs were also successful overseas.

By the mid-70s, Aretha’s commercial success waned and she left Atlantic for Clive Davis' Arista Records in 1980. Her 1982 song “Jump to It,” returned her to the top 40 for the first time in six years. 1985’s Who’s Zoomin' Who? got her back into the top 10 twice with its title track and “Freeway Of Love”. Four more songs reached the top 40 through 1986.

more tracks from the album

30 Greatest Hits

From the albums

This Girl’s in Love with You (1970)
30 Greatest Hits (1985)

Aretha Franklin popular songs

Eleanor RigbyAretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin

30 Greatest Hits