“Eleanor Rigby” is officially credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership, but it was written primarily by Paul McCartney, with some input from John Lennon and minor lyrical ideas from George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

Who wrote “Eleanor Rigby”?

  • The song is formally credited to Lennon–McCartney , like most Beatles songs of the era.
  • Multiple eyewitness accounts (including producer George Martin and close friends) support that Paul McCartney was the main writer of both the melody and the core lyrics.
  • John Lennon later claimed he wrote about half (or more) of the lyrics, but other participants remembered his contribution as quite small.

So, if you’re answering in a simple way:

  • Short answer: Paul McCartney wrote “Eleanor Rigby” (officially credited to Lennon–McCartney).

A bit of background (quick)

  • “Eleanor Rigby” was released in 1966 on the Beatles’ album Revolver and as a single with “Yellow Submarine.”
  • McCartney developed it at the piano, starting with an early character name like “Miss Daisy Hawkins” before settling on Eleanor Rigby.
  • The song’s string-quartet arrangement (by George Martin) and its focus on loneliness and “all the lonely people” made it a standout, more experimental track that helped shift the Beatles into a more studio‑based, art‑pop direction.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.