Lyric discussion by Teletha 

Cover art for Veronica lyrics by Elvis Costello

For me, "And they call her a name that they never get right and if they don't then nobody else will" is the absolute heartbreaker. Nobody else will get her name right because nobody else ever comes. She turned her back on the world after she lost her sailor - and has ended up forgotten and alone. "And as she closed her eyes upon the world and picked up the bones of last week's news She spoke his name out loud again" Now, at last, she has even mostly forgotten herself. That's the wolf at the door. All of us exist in a dream of youth and beauty, but there's a wolf waiting at the door, reaching out to snatch us away.

@Teletha the lyrics say nothing about turning "her back on the world", only that she's old and has dementia, and doesn't have the capacity to correct those saying her name incorrectly. Closing "her EYES on the world" just means she's dreaming/envisioning a sailor from years ago, maybe the one she married, maybe not. But he's fondly remembered.

The "bridge" or middle section, THAT'S the heartbreaker, with the details of the name of his ship and the picture he carries. And "last week's news" either meaning that she last heard from him last week or the...

@Teletha ... The line "And they call her a name that they never get right and if they don't then nobody else will" is about the staff of the nursing home that "cares" for her of the nursing home doesn't even take the time to learn her name. I guess they are too busy stealing her clothes! To many people, including me the swipe against her nursing home is well deserved.