The Beatles had several songs that were written around the lives and stories of made up characters. From lonely women to outcasted religious leaders, find three of their best songs about fictional people, below.
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3 of the Best Beatles Songs That Were Written Around Made-Up Characters
1. “Penny Lane”
Though there is probably some truth to these characters, they are more so a vignette of life growing up on Penny Lane than a factual account. Paul McCartney penned this song after being inspired by his childhood environment–the people he saw, the places they frequented, and more. McCartney has always been stellar at writing visceral character pieces. This track is one of his best in that vein.
On the corner is a banker with a motorcar
And little children laugh at him behind his back
And the banker never wears a mac in the pouring rain
Very strange
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
Wet beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit and meanwhile back in
2. “Eleanor Rigby”
In the same vein, “Eleanor Rigby” dictates the lives of a couple of fictional characters, but in a way that makes it relatable to anyone listening. We’ve all felt lonely and cast aside. Though we might not be in the same situation as the title character, the sentiment in this Beatles’ song hits home.
Eleanor Rigby
Picks up the rice in the church
Where the wedding has been lives in a dream
Wait’s at the window
Wearing the face that she keeps in
A jar by the door who is it for?
Father McKenzie
Writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near
Look at him working
Darning his socks in the night when there’s nobody there
What does he care?
3. “The Fool on the Hill”
Speaking of feeling lonely, McCartney once again reckoned with that idea on “The Fool on the Hill.” This track sees McCartney paint a portrait of a religious leader who is chalked up to being a fool by his neighbors. He ends up isolated on a hill, standing strongly on his beliefs.
Day after day
Alone on a hill
The man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still
But nobody wants to know him
They can see that he’s just a fool
And he never gives an answer
But the fool on the hill sees the Sun going down
And the eyes in his head see the world spinning ’round
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Evening News/Shutterstock
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