During Nan's teenage years in Los Angeles, according to an interview in Cosmopolitan magazine, she discovered magic mushrooms and the guitar.
She played in a late 80's band called Babooshka, and in the 90's joined the touring bands both for ex-Police guitarist Andy Summers, and ex-Eurythmics co-founder Dave Stewart's backing band, The Spiritual Cowboys.
After a couple years in the UK and working with producers like Ian Stanley and Dave Stewart she eventually released several collaborations, some singles and her own debut album Manta Ray for Elektra in 1995 and a beautiful version of Moon River for a Del-Fi compilation of Henry Mancini songs, Shots in the Dark.
Record company coordination, and promotional support, both in the UK and the US, were fraught with difficulty, and her US label East/West folded shortly after her debut. Little was heard from the promising Ms. Vernon after this period.
Elvis Waits
Nan Vernon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just got off the phone
Shipping forecast on my radio
I feel like a pirate on this stormy night
Where pirates steal and hold on tight
And I want you
And I need to wait
Remember the birds at montmartre
They were screaming in their apartment trees
Well I'm just so out of body now
Out of window and onto the street
Will you linger here forever and never leave
And I want you
And I need to wait
Elvis waits
In his waiting room
By his winnebago in wings and collar
He's a homogram he's no ordinary man
He flies on the wings of a wedding dove
And I want you
And I need to wait
The lyrics of Nan Vernon's song, "Elvis Waits," are cryptic and elusive. The song sets an eerie, almost dreamlike mood with its atmospheric soundscapes and Vernon's ethereal singing style. The opening lines, "It's a halfway 'til morning, just got off the phone, shipping forecast on my radio," suggest that the singer is up late at night and perhaps feeling a bit isolated or disconnected from the world around her. The line "I feel like a pirate on this stormy night, where pirates steal and hold on tight" adds to this sense of unease, as if the singer is scavenging for something precious amidst turbulent waters.
Throughout the song, Vernon weaves together seemingly disconnected images and ideas. The line "Remember the birds at montmartre, they were screaming in their apartment trees" evokes a vivid image of birds trapped in cages, unable to fly free. The following line, "Well, I'm just so out of body now, out of window and onto the street," suggests that the singer is feeling similarly trapped or confined. The final verse paints a surreal picture of Elvis Presley waiting in a dressing room by his Winnebago, dressed in wings and a collar. The line "He's a homogram he's no ordinary man, he flies on the wings of a wedding dove" further adds to the otherworldly, almost mystical quality of the song.
It's difficult to pin down exactly what the lyrics of "Elvis Waits" are trying to convey, but one interpretation could be that the song is about longing and searching for something that's just out of reach. The singer is wandering through a world that feels unfamiliar and strange, looking for a way out or a path forward. The figure of Elvis, a larger-than-life icon who has become almost mythical in popular culture, could represent an idealized version of something the singer is seeking - perhaps freedom, escape, or even love. Yet the fact that Elvis is "waiting" in the song title and lyrics implies that even he is unable to fulfill these desires, leaving the singer stuck in a perpetual state of wanting but never quite attaining.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a halfway 'til morning
It's late at night, but not yet early morning
Just got off the phone
Just finished a phone call
Shipping forecast on my radio
Listening to a radio program about the weather conditions for ships at sea
I feel like a pirate on this stormy night
The stormy night makes me feel like a pirate who would brave through any harsh weather condition
Where pirates steal and hold on tight
Pirates usually steal goods and hold on to them tightly, so the mention suggests the importance of holding onto something valuable
And I want you
The singer desires someone special
And I need to wait
The singer is willing to wait for that someone
Remember the birds at montmartre
Recalling a memory of birds in Montmartre (a hill in Paris, France)
They were screaming in their apartment trees
The birds were making loud noises in the trees outside their apartment
Well I'm just so out of body now
The artist feels like they are not present in their own body or mind at the moment
Out of window and onto the street
The singer feels like they are looking out the window and onto the street, rather than being fully present in their current physical surroundings
Will you linger here forever and never leave
The artist is asking if their desired person will stay and never leave them
Elvis waits
Referring to the musician Elvis Presley, who is waiting for something
In his waiting room
Elvis is in a designated waiting area
By his winnebago in wings and collar
Elvis is by his motorhome wearing extravagant clothing like wings and a collar
He's a homogram he's no ordinary man
Elvis is described as something beyond the typical constraints of human understanding
He flies on the wings of a wedding dove
Elvis is soaring through the air like a dove released at a wedding ceremony
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES HALLIWELL, NAN VERNON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
chubbydebu
This song is a diamond.. It remains me a lot of stuffs.. it has something magical :)
Jeremias Drumond
Yeah I know what you mean. Most songs from the Manta Ray album give me a deja vu feeling as if my soul has heard some tunes in another life. Magical is the word!
Mehdi Ali Khan
This is one hell of a haunting melody beautifully arranged and sung in a masterful way. The lyrics are great (as far as I could understand.) A perfect song! I love it to the bone. I feel sad that its video that was craftily made is nowhere available. It is a shame how some masterpieces disappear through time leaving no trail behind. Can someone please post the lyrics of this song?
Matthew Tiller
Glad to see Nan getting some recognition. She is the most gorgeous, talented creature ever.
David Joseph Vickers
@ Matthew Tiller:
Thank you a lot for the nicest and kindest commitment on, Nan Vernon.
I appreciate that!🇮🇱🌈💯
James Fogg
I rarely play this less than 3 times in a row. Masterpiece recording. Manta Ray is amazing.
Deanna Marin
Always been in love with this song!
kaijinu
so majestic. this song, her voice, it's something I hadn't heard before in my entire life and I'm loving it!
TheRaivan354
I love love love this song, and I miss hearing Nan sing live very much. She's a treasure forever.
Sebastian Montagu
It is on her Manta Ray album. Hauntingly beautiful, I love the lyrics of longing and still listen to this several times a year. I bought it when it was originally released. Did anybody else?