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)".
Read more about this topic: Eleanor Rigby
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