The Beatles shaped a music revolution in the short period they lasted (1960–1970). With the release of the albums Rubber Soul (1965) and Revolver (1966), the change in The Beatles’ song themes was evident. They became more ambiguous, making the listener pay more attention to the lyrics to figure out their meaning. This essay analyses the mental health themes in the song ‘Eleanor Rigby’, credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership, on the album Revolver.

‘Eleanor Rigby’ is a song with a sombre mood due to its lyrics and the exclusive use of a string octet arrangement. The song revolves around two characters, Eleanor herself and Father McKenzie, a priest. According to Paul McCartney, Eleanor represents an old lady who never achieved her dreams. The lyrics evoke loneliness, existential despair and isolation, with Eleanor dying alone and Father McKenzie remaining socially isolated at the song’s end.

Analysing this song from a medical perspective is a great asset to increase mental health awareness concerning depression in the geriatric population and the overlooked public health problem in this age group, which is suicide. Social factors contribute to depressive symptoms in older adults, including loneliness, social isolation, relationship difficulties and unemployment.

Loneliness is a mismatch of the social connectedness an individual craves and what they have. In the first verse, Eleanor’s behaviour shows that she covets connection, whether by picking the rice thrown at the newly-weds after their weddings, wearing make-up or ‘putting on a mask’ (a happy or brave face) to disguise her sorrow and misery. The line ‘Who is it for?’ accentuates her disconnection and social isolation.

Social isolation conceptually differs from loneliness; it means an objective lack of social contact. The lyrics highlight that ‘No one comes near’ Father McKenzie. This passage underscores his social isolation and loneliness because he yearns for connection (continues writing sermons) and, as a priest, would typically have many social interactions but does not.

Since Father McKenzie’s age is unknown, emotionally and socially, his and Eleanor’s storylines emphasise feelings of ‘being invisible’ across all ages: a significant issue per se. However, Eleanor’s age draws attention to the urgent need to address loneliness and social isolation in older adults, which are strongly associated with depression, suicidality and even increased cognitive decline and dementia.

Due to The Beatles’ timelessness and popularity, it is relevant to interpret ‘Eleanor Rigby’ to increase awareness concerning depression, loneliness and suicide in the geriatric population, as these are public health concerns. Hopefully, this perspective will offer valuable insights for clinicians and inspire research to help ‘save lonely people’ from their agony.