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Mrs Vandebilt

10 April 2012
1.15am

mithveaen

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Ok I know that Paul might have written that song about the lady who wrote those etiquette books, I always find somehow related to Mrs. Robinson and the Graduate film with Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft.

What do you think? Am I reading too much into the song? a-hard-days-night-george-1

Here comes the sun….. Scoobie-doobie…… Something in the way she moves…..attracts me like a cauliflower… Bop. Bop, cat bop. Go, Johnny, Go. Beware of Darkness… I believe in SH...

10 April 2012
2.29am

meanmistermustard

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Have never seen the film so have no idea.

"Well, probably we'll sell less records, less people'll go to see the film, we'll write less songs, and we'll all die of failure" (John Lennon 8/64)

10 April 2012
4.02am

Into the Sky with Diamonds

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Rishikesh

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That's a fun song to sing in the car – but I don't think the lyrics relate to Amy Vanderbilt.

The Graduate's a classic and you gotta love the music, but …. where do you see the connection between "Mrs. Vanderbilt" and the movie?

"Into the Sky with Diamonds" (the Beatles and the Race to the Moon – a history)

10 April 2012
9.09am

Ben Ramon

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I suppose you could connect "Mrs Vandebilt" and "Mrs Robinson" due to the title, and Paul was apparently influenced musically by Paul Simon to some degree- John once said that "Let it Be" was his attempt at "Bridge Over Troubled Water." However I wouldn't say there's any real connection beyond that.

"Mrs Vandebilt" to me has always had a very clear and specific lyrical meaning- namely about being a nomad, getting away from a catered middle-class life and just letting go of all your aspirations and material possessions to be free, maybe in the face of some sort of existential crisis ("what's the use of anything?"). Probably the kind of thing Macca had in mind when he flew to Lagos. As for the line "leave me alone, Mrs Vandebilt, I've got plenty of time of my own," I guess that's Paul using the "Mrs Vandebilt" etiquette image as a representation of the lifestyle he's leaving behind. A lot of Wings songs are difficult to decipher lyrically but I've always found this one quite clear.

SHUT UP - Paulie's talkin'

10 April 2012
7.21pm

vonbontee

Inside a Letterbox

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Both "Mrs. Robinson" and "Mrs. Vandebilt" are titles that simply sing well, they have a nice natural rhythm, that's what they have in common. Something that can be important to songwriters – for "Robinson", Paul Simon wrote the lyric "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?" because he wanted the name of a baseball player, and DiMaggio's name sang better than "Mickey Mantle", who was Simon's actual ball hero. Something that Simon had to explain to Mantle when he met him in real life years later!

I like black music, disco music. I like the disco music that's out now - John Lennon, 1975

10 April 2012
7.46pm

Zig

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vonbontee said
Paul Simon wrote the lyric "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?" because he wanted the name of a baseball player, and DiMaggio's name sang better than "Mickey Mantle

I'm glad he did not chose one of Dimaggio's teammates. "Where have you gone Rugger Ardizoia?" doesn't flow nearly as well. That's a cool little fact you laid on us Von. I really enjoy your posts.

BOT: Other than the "Mrs.", I don't see any other similarities between the 2 songs.

To the fountain of perpetual mirth, Let it roll for all its worth.

2295 6972

12 April 2012
4.48am

mithveaen

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Maybe because of the "Leave me alone Mrs Vandebilt, I got plenty of time of my own"

I dunno, I always thought of Paul being seduced by an older woman and he's saying no. a-hard-days-night-paul-10

Also, the lines of "What's the use of worrying? What's the use of everything?" I could imagine someone from the Graduate generation feeling himself not worried about his future, or feeling hopeless about it.

Here comes the sun….. Scoobie-doobie…… Something in the way she moves…..attracts me like a cauliflower… Bop. Bop, cat bop. Go, Johnny, Go. Beware of Darkness… I believe in SH...

12 April 2012
4.09pm

Zig

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a-hard-days-night-paul-6 I can see that mith. Never thought of it that way before. I probably will now.

No matter what song I hear from any artist, I usually have some type of memory or story that it reminds me of. Now I have one for "Mrs. Vandebilt" – thanks!

To the fountain of perpetual mirth, Let it roll for all its worth.

2295 6972

12 April 2012
9.42pm

mithveaen

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You're welcome! the thing is that I had just seen that movie when I got Band on the Run album.

Here comes the sun….. Scoobie-doobie…… Something in the way she moves…..attracts me like a cauliflower… Bop. Bop, cat bop. Go, Johnny, Go. Beware of Darkness… I believe in SH...

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