Though they wrote together for a brief span of time (less than 20 songs have emerged from their collaboration in official recordings), Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello proved a potent songwriting combination. Costello, who’d been a card-carrying member of the Beatles fan club as a kid, brought focus and bite to the late ’80s/early ’90s output of McCartney.
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McCartney reciprocated by ladling a little bit of his innate catchiness over Costello’s knotty compositions. And then there were songs that emerged from the pair that no one could have expected based on their past works. Let’s count down the finest five songs that the pair wrote together.
5. “Mistress and Maid” (recorded by Paul McCartney on Off the Ground, 1993)
McCartney didn’t quite do proper justice to this song with the official release in 1993. The production is a bit too busy, which robs a bit from the simple, sad prettiness of the melody. Nonetheless, you can still hear the songwriting excellence on display on a song that was apparently prompted by the two writers looking at a painting by Johannes Vermeer. They conjured of a tale of a woman so badly mistreated by her husband that she suffers an unofficial demotion to a lesser standing in the household. Check out the live versions and demos where Costello and McCartney are singing the song in harmony if you really want to hear its full potential.
4. “My Brave Face” (recorded by Paul McCartney on Flowers in the Dirt, 1989)
McCartney shied away from sounds that might be associated with the Fab Four in the ’80s, at least until the fanboy in Costello convinced him to embrace a bit of nostalgia. Thus, the two steered right into the Beatles-esque curve on “My Brave Face,” which kicked off McCartney’s 1989 return-to-form album Flowers in the Dirt with a heaping slab of musical ebullience. That buoyancy counteracts the tenor of the lyrics, which tell a tale of a lonely guy trying to make sense of his life now that he’s been left behind by his ex. He muddles through a life of unwashed silverware and TV dinners. The title refers to the mask he puts on for public consumption, only to break down every time he’s all by himself.
3. “So Like Candy” (recorded by Elvis Costello on Mighty Like a Rose, 1991)
Costello broods and sneers his way through the 1991 album Mighty Like a Rose, which holds great rewards for listeners who can brave the permeating foul mood. This anguished ballad fits the prevalent vibe quite well. Once again, Costello and McCartney sink their teeth into a song about what’s left behind after love has been lost. The poor sap telling this tale reviews the detritus of his relationship with the title character in a kind of updated version of George Jones’ “The Grand Tour.” At the end of the song, as he surveys the offhand destruction, physical and emotional, that she caused, he can’t help but admire how she was able to pull all this off without suffering any damage on her end.
2. “That Day Is Done” (recorded by Paul McCartney on Flowers in the Dirt, 1989)
If you were to create a blueprint for what a McCartney/Costello team-up might sound like, it likely wouldn’t resemble “That Day Is Done.” This song is a revelation in the best kind of way. With its sloggy pace and funereal horns, it sets you up for a dire tale, which is what it indeed delivers. The best comparison is the folk/country classic “Long Black Veil,” in that both songs come from the point of view of the deceased. Yet the chorus provides a bit of release, especially with McCartney delivering one of the finest vocal performances of his solo career. His narrator can at least rest in the knowledge that his fate is sealed, instead of suffering an eternity of uncertainty.
1. “Veronica” (recorded by Elvis Costello on Spike, 1989)
Costello wanted to go into his initial songwriting sessions with McCartney with something in the hopper, and the song that he had already begun would turn out to be “Veronica.” McCartney helped mostly with the bridge, but considering the personal nature of the lyrics, you have to guess that E.C. did most of the writing work here. Give credit to McCartney, however, for the bass work that props up the recording. Costello was referencing his grandmother’s life in the song. He contrasts the way her loved ones view her in the present day (as an old woman addled by dementia) with a rich inner life that brings her back to her spunky youth. “Veronica” gave Costello one of the biggest hits of his career, with most people singing along to the chorus without having any clue to the song’s deeper meaning.
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Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
