It’s a chorus of togetherness, ringing through the verses, reinforcing the message of shared joy and mutual connection within this allegorical world. The resounding refrain “We all live in a yellow submarine” emphasizes the central theme of unity and collective existence. The sky of blue and the sea of green accentuate the scenic, serene environment, allowing every individual to live a life of ease within their metaphorical yellow submarine. “And our friends are all aboard, Many more of them live next door,” highlights a sense of community, indicating the shared experience and mutual existence within this underwater utopia.Įvery member of this subaquatic society has what they need, underlining an existence marked by contentment and satisfaction. The yellow submarine is not just a literal vessel it’s a symbol of unity and peace, an escape from the mundane. In this utopia, everyone lives in a yellow submarine, a metaphor for a communal and harmonious life, submerged in the beauty of the collective dream. It’s a voyage into the ideal, a pursuit of utopian existence beneath the waves, shielded from the tumultuous surface world. The initial lines establish a connection between the realms of reality and fantasy, inviting us into an otherworldly experience.Īs the lyrics progress, the imagery of sailing to the sun and finding a sea of green represents hope, prosperity, and the pursuit of happiness.

This man’s life symbolizes a journey into unknown territories and experiences, indicating a narrative of exploration and discovery. The song starts with a tale of a sailor from the songwriter’s hometown and takes us into his life within the land of submarines. With the addition of a priest and the many mentions that “no one was saved,” the song could be seen as a swipe at Christianity and the concept of being saved by Jesus.Dive deeper into the world of “Yellow Submarine” to uncover the profound layers beneath its catchy tunes and join us on a fascinating voyage through the realms of meaning, metaphors, and music. I needn’t argue about that I’m right and I will be proved right. “Eleanor Rigby” was released just weeks after John Lennon made the widely controversial claim that “Christianity will go. But ‘darning his socks’ kind of says more about him.

McCartney spoke about this section of the song in a November 2020 piece for Rolling Stone saying, “Father McKenzie is ‘darning his socks in the night.’ You know, he’s a religious man, so I could’ve said, you know, ‘preparing his Bible,’ which would have been more obvious. Question is, if no one else will see if his socks are darned, why does he care? The second verse’s lines speak to the priest’s isolation and lack of companionship. Without having much of a congregation, McKenzie is forced to write sermons that “no one will hear.” He later talks about darning his socks. The second character featured in the song’s lyrics is Father McKenzie. With the opening lines, he quickly lets the listener know that the closest Eleanor comes to getting married herself is tidying up after everyone has left.įrom his hands as he walks from the grave When McCartney first introduces us to Eleanor she is living in a “dream” world of her own, picking up rice from a wedding that was thrown over the happy couple. The first verse follows the titular Eleanor as she tidies up after a wedding send-off and peers through the window at her house. The two characters, Eleanor and Father McKenzie, are both isolated in their own lives before finally “meeting” after Eleanor’s death, with the priest burying her. He liked the way the two names ringed together because it sounded natural and matched the rhythm he wrote.Īs the opening chorus makes perfectly clear, the song is a sort of character piece about “all the lonely people.” The song’s intricate string arrangement underscores the narrative Paul McCartney sings about across the track’s three verses. “Rigby” came to him while in Bristol, England when he spotted a store named Rigby and Evens Ltd.

McCartney, who penned most of this song, got the name from the actress Eleanor Bron, who appeared in the 1965 Beatles film Help!.

Beatles yellow submarine lyrics meaning