Eleanor Rigby

This is another long-time favorite Beatles tune.  One big reason is the purely string ensemble accompaniment, which was so radically different from what anyone else was doing at the time - no guitars, no drums - just violins, violas and cellos.  It was as if Haydn's string orchestra had come full circle and was now being pressed into service for the evolving rock and roll era.  This technique was copied by others later (Moody Blues, Pink Floyd, Chicago - to name a few) but the Beatles were definitely among the first to bring this sound to the rock genre.

Another reason for its continued popularity is the emotional connection that are made by the lyrics.  Everyone experiences loneliness in one way or another, but for some people it can become overwhelming.  Eleanor Rigby and Father MacKenzie are two such people.  Their paths don't actually cross until her funeral - and by that time it is too late for either to help the other.  "Nobody came" to the funeral - a picture of Eleanor's life of despair.  "No one was saved" points up the futility that the priest feels in his lack of success in the field of his calling.  This is more than just a standard pop song bemoaning the loss of romantic love - it represents the existential despair that is a far too frequent aspect of modern life where people have become too disconnected from each other.  This capture of that emotion is one of the reasons it has endured all these years.