When talking about the song on a VH1 interview, Costello reminisced about his grandmother having "terrifying moments of lucidity" and how this was the inspiration for "Veronica". In his 2015 autobiography, Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, Costello wrote of his collaboration with McCartney, "I'd brought an early version of 'Veronica' that you would have recognized.
Costello recalled his grandmother's episodes of lucidity as inspiration for the song "Veronica" in a VH1 interview. He also wrote about this collaboration in his 2015 autobiography, Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink.