Eleanor Rigby - Musical Structure

Musical Structure

The song is a prominent example of mode mixture; specifically between the Aeolian mode, also known as natural minor, and the Dorian mode: the song, in E minor, is based on the chord progression Em-C, a chord progression in the Aeolian mode (utilizing notes ♭3, ♭6, and ♭7 in this scale; see article). The lead melody, however, is taken primarily from the somewhat lighter Dorian mode (minor scale with sharpened sixth degree; see article). The song opens with a C-major vocal harmony ("Aah, look at all..."), before shifting to i (Em) on "lonely people"). The Aeolian C natural note returns later in the verse on the word "dre-eam" (C-B) as the C chord resolves to the tonic Em, giving an urgency to the melody's mood. The Dorian mode appears with the C# note (6 in the Em scale) at the beginning of the phrase "in the church". The chorus beginning "All the lonely people" involves the viola in a chromatic descent to the 5th; from 7 (D natural on "All the lonely peo..") to 6 (C♯ on "...ple") to ♭6 (C on"they) to 5 (B on "from"). This is said to "add an air of inevitability to the flow of the music (and perhaps to the plight of the characters in the song)".