The Beatles Bible - Topic: Mrs Vandebilt

mithveaen on Mrs Vandebilt

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:42:08 +0100

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

Zig on Mrs Vandebilt

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:09:34 +0100

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!

mithveaen on Mrs Vandebilt

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:48:36 +0100

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.

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.

Zig on Mrs Vandebilt

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:46:24 +0100

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.

vonbontee on Mrs Vandebilt

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:21:29 +0100

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!

Ben Ramon on Mrs Vandebilt

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 09:09:42 +0100

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 ...

Into the Sky with Diamonds on Mrs Vandebilt

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 04:02:31 +0100

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?

meanmistermustard on Mrs Vandebilt

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 02:29:55 +0100

Have never seen the film so have no idea.

mithveaen on Mrs Vandebilt

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 01:15:04 +0100

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?