Context

This line is from the song "Eleanor Rigby" by the Beatles, written by John Lennon & Paul McCartney, from the album Revolver (1966).

The Beatles were one of the biggest pop bands in the world with hits like "Love Me Do" and "I Wanna Hold Your Hand." So you wouldn't necessarily expect them to release a song that's all about depression, desperation, and how we're all gonna die alone one day. Total bummer.

"Eleanor Rigby" is pretty much just that. It's about a lonely woman who dies with no one in her life. The chorus bemoans the fact that there are so many people in the world like her—so many lonely people with no place to belong and no place to go expect the grave. Geez. And we thought we were bummed before the chorus kicked in.

Where you've heard it

Anywhere people talk about loneliness—and it is a big problem in the world—you will probably here this quote come up. People need people to survive.

Additional Notable References:

• Here's Paul McCartney performing this one live at The White House.
• And because we love her, here's Aretha Franklin's version of Eleanor's story.
• The movie The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby is about a girl named after the main character in the song. (Maybe not the best baby name choice.)

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

Hmmm… we think this quote will just make you seem kind of wise and sad. Not pretentious. But if someone at the party wants to give you a hug after you say this, don't say we didn't warn you.