Pop - Beatles - Eleanor Rigby - STRUCTURE

Question 1

What is the structure of Eleanor Rigby?

Answer 1

Strophic form:

• Introduction
• Verse 1
• Refrain
• Verse 2
• Refrain
• Bridge
• Verse 3
• Refrain
• Coda

Question 2

What does each verse of Eleanor Rigby consist of?

Answer 2

2 x 5-bar lines with loose rhyme scheme:

Verse 1
been - dream
door - for

Verse 2
hear - near
there - care

Verse 3
name - came
grave - saved

Question 3

How could Eleanor Rigby be said to have a metrical scheme?

Answer 3

Intro - 8 bars
2 x 4-bar phrases (=periodic phrasing)
Each phrase = 2.25 bars vocal THEN instrumental fill

Verse - 10 bars
2 x 5-bar statements
Each statement = 1 + 3 + 1
Vocal statements at odds with accompaniments and harmonic scheme

Refrain - 8-bars
2 x 4-bar phrases (=periodic phrasing)
3-bars vocal THEN 1-bar instrumental fill