Elvis Costello's "Veronica".... meaning??

[Jonathan Monsarrat]

Hi! This is Jonathan Monsarrat writing to you from Brown University.

I'm trying to figure out what the song "Veronica",
by Elvis Costello, is about.

Help?

-Jon
%! Jon Monsarrat j...@cs.brown.edu moderator, comp.sources.postscript %!
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[David Whiteis]

Jonathan,

You would probably have better luck if you posted part or all of the
lyrics of the song. I know the song, but can't remember the words exactly
right now.

- David Whiteis

[ECL...@mvs.oac.ucla.edu]

>> Hi! This is Jonathan Monsarrat writing to you from Brown University.
>>
>> I'm trying to figure out what the song "Veronica",
>> by Elvis Costello, is about.

In an interview at around the time 'Spike' was released
Costello said the song was about his Grandmother and his
thoughts about her while visiting her one day.

'Veronica sits in her favorite chair...she sits very
quite and still...but they call her a name that they
never get right and if they don't nobody else will...she
used to have a care free life of her own and a delicate
look in her eyes these days I'm afraid that she's not even
sure if her name is Veronica.'

Beautiful song.

[David Watson]

>> Hi! This is Jonathan Monsarrat writing to you from Brown University.
>> I'm trying to figure out what the song "Veronica",
>> by Elvis Costello, is about.

It's about his grandmother and about how she has become senile. A lot
of times she seems to find it a beatific state, but others can see how
horrifying it is ("And all the while she laughs at those / who call her
name and steal her clothes").
--
Dave Watson, Severed Heads Liberation Front (Re-release the _Stretcher_ EP!)
Frezier Balzoff (Ottawa), Ontario, Canada Email-...@Freenet.carleton.ca
"A man is measured by the depth of his anger."--Eddie
"So he sanded off his winkle with his Black & Decker drill."--Ian Dury

[D. James Mountjoy]

further to comments on 'Veronica'
I agree that it deals with his grandmother and senility, but not
necessarily painting it as a horrible experience. He seems to be a bit
mystified and tries to speculate about what she must be thinking (song
starts "Is it all in that pretty little head of yours? What goes on in
that place in the dark?"). The middle part seems to deal with her life
and the young man she knew 65 years ago (presumably where her thoughts are
often dwelling these days?), though what happened to him when he sailed on
the "Empress of India" isn't all that clear. (Perhaps, given the bittersweet
tone of the song, he didn't return??)
Anyways, to be fair it should be noted that Paul McCartney gets co-
writing credit on this song, though its not clear how much he contributed
to the lyrics. I recall from an interview that this song was partly (mostly?)
written beforehand, and Elvis had Paul help him finish it off as one of their
first efforts at collaboration before they started a song from scratch.
Jim

[Don Marks]

j...@markov.cs.brown.edu (Jonathan Monsarrat) writes:

>I'm trying to figure out what the song "Veronica",
>by Elvis Costello, is about.

I seem to remember that the song was about his grandmother.

==========================================================================
Don Marks "Watching Romeo dissolve I was tempted to join him"
dma...@tsegw.tse.com --- Robyn Hitchcock

[M. K. Houghton]

I heard that too. Wonderful how a song that sounds like it is about a young girl
can turn out like that ... Mind you, it is another mark of the brilliance of
Costello.

Mike Houghton
University of Reading,
England