Elvis Costello has always been sort of “niche” artist–someone who always seems to come up with Great Songs, with one personal caveat:  He believes that once a song becomes a big hit, it no longer belongs to the artist, it belongs to the world,     and that makes it nearly impossible for the artist to reclaim it as their own.

1989’s “Veronica,” illustrates the point perfectly.

Elvis wrote it about his’ Grandmother Molly, who had Alzheimer’s disease, but the song wasn’t quite finished when he got a call from Paul McCartney who asked if they could collaborate on some new music.

Elvis shared “Veronica” with him, and together, they reworked it into a song that climbed to #1 on Billboard’s Alternative Music Chart, #5 on the Album Rock Chart, and #19 on The Hot 100.

And that’s when Elvis felt the song was no longer his. After a while, however, he changed and re-arranged “Veronica” for concert performances, which helped him regain a sense of ownership.

And here’s some trivia for you: Elvis’ grandmother’s name was actually Mabel, and her nickname was Molly. Veronica was her Catholic confirmation name.

“Veronica” by Elvis Costello–with a little help from Paul McCartney,  it’s a very personal Great Song of 1989.