Eleanor Rigby Beatles or Franklin?

“Eleanor Rigby is a common cover redone not only by pop bands but even heavy metal and punk-rock bands. Why is Eleanor Rigby so commonly made into a cover song? The answer is really quite simple. “Eleanor Rigby” tells of a lonely Church janitor named Eleanor Rigby who “waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps by the door.” “Eleanor Rigby” is a question of life concerning lonely people, and the lyrics parallel Eleanor Rigby and Father Mackenzie as the lonely people in the story.

Aretha Franklin, a famous artist known as the “Queen” of Soul, also sang “Eleanor Rigby“, yet the original and cover versions of the song sounded quite different. Eleanor Rigby has the same lyrics and same story in both the original song and cover versions, yet both songs are so different. How can something so similar be so different? Well, different genres of music come to explain part of the question.

Songs with exact same lyrics can be completely different and seem to tell different stories through music genres and the instruments commonly used with the genres. According to AOL Music, the Beatles were classic rock/alternative, which explains what type of music the Beatles played. The Beatles commonly played classical rock music and alternative, which mainly consists of guitars, a bass guitar, and a drum set; these genres included morose music with violins as well. Aretha Franklin’s version was through soul music, which according to Dictionary.com is a combination of gospel music with “rhythm-and-blues” influence known commonly for its “earthy expressiveness, variously plaintive or raucous vocals, and often passionate romanticism or sensuality.

” This means soul music tends to be loud, emotional, and very expressive; all qualities Franklin projects in her version of “Eleanor Rigby” The Beatles used 4 violins, 2 violas, and 2 cellos–all instruments commonly used for dramatic effect and dismal music– and to add to the instruments were the notes played. The Beatles played many low notes, creating a morose sense of desperation and loneliness appropriate for the song. The combination of uncanny notes and the seemingly impassive tone of Paul McCartney’s voice created an eerie yet enjoyable experience for any music listener. During the verses of the song, many variations of the violas and cellos play, somehow drawing attention to the lyrics with the deeper sounds, while the chorus has one note playing at a higher pitch creating the sense of loneliness while saying “ ah , look at all the lonely people” creating a devastating combo to point out the song focusing on all the troglodytes of the world. While the Beatles had a morose take on “Eleanor Rigby,” Aretha Franklin’s cover version was more energetic and distinctively happy. Aretha’s band used a bass guitar, a drum set, backup vocals, and a piano, that all played higher notes and had a lively tune, the complete opposite of the original the Beatles had. Franklin’s loud voice and enthusiastic singing projects happiness and curiosity. Franklin’s view of the song could be interpreted to parallel another view on life, from tragedies and sadness to joy and innocent curiosity. The genres of music played an enormous part in differing the two similar songs, but in reality the songs were just different versions of the same story.