Copacabana: mystery solved

It is no secret (perhaps it should be!) that I really like Barry Manilow's music. So I was listening to Copacabana for the millionth time today and I remembered something I've pondered for a long time: why can't anyone figure it out?

If you know the story - and you know you do - we have Lola and her boyfriend Tony who both work at the Copacabana. Rico turns up, starts flirting with Lola and the boys fight. Then "there was blood and a single gunshot, but just who shot who?"

This is the part I don't get. I mean, it works out as a lovely rhyme but it really shouldn't be that difficult to work out who shot who! There was a single gunshot and we know from the song that Lola "lost her Tony" so surely Rico shot Tony. Another possibility could be that both guys ended up dead, in which case the body that has the GSW was shot by the other one (and in that case, how did the non-shot person die? Punched to death?)

For some reason EVERY time I listen to this song I end up a bit cross with it because it's so obvious to me what happened! Or am I missing something?

Thoughts?

PS. YES I should really be spending my time thinking of less trivial things but that's what happens when all I have to think about is baby stuff...

Comments

DisneyFan said…
Hi Claudia! I know you probably don't know me, but I used to hang around the Disney Running forum under DisneyFan1975, and I've always liked reading your blog! Today, I have an answer for you. There is a movie version of Copacabana, and in that, it explains who shot Tony. There is a final fight where Rico is about to shoot Tony and Lola steps in and wrestles the gun away from Rico. In the process of getting the gun away, once it is in Lola's hands, it goes off, shooting Tony and killing him. So, it is Lola who kills her love--which would explain why she's always drinking herself half blind and is apparently wearing the same dress. Now, in the musical version, they give it a happy ending where Rico dies and Lola and Tony live happily ever after. Hope that clears things up! Take care!
Lynne
Angela said…
I know this post is super old, but I always thought Tony could have shot Rico and gone to jail for life or gotten the death penalty, or had to run away and she never saw him again. Also could be that Lola shot Rico and Tony took the fall for her. My favorite is that she accidentally shot Tony.
youmustbecrazy said…
I don't think Rico shot Tony. If it were that simple, the question wouldn't be necessary. That's the obvious answer.

The boys were fighting, and Lola shot at Rico to save Tony, accidentally shooting Tony, she went to jail (lost her youth) for murdering her boyfriend(lost her Tony), and (now) she lost her mind due to the guilt.

IMO, this is the only way that sets up the puzzle and solves it. while making ALL the lyrics work.
Unknown said…
Hi

I was actually at the Copacabana that night, so I really know what happened. After Tony and Rico had a fight a friend of Rico pulled out a gun and shot Tony. He was hospitalised and was in a coma for a few months I think, but died after multiple organ failure. After that Lola stopped coming to the Copacabana for a while, but eventually ended up as a lonely alcoholic prostitute from what I heard.

I stopped going to the Copacabana a few months after the gun shot incident so I really don't know for sure.

Chris
Unknown said…
What's the name of the movie ?
Dan said…
Rico is shot and Tony is sent up the river for a life sentence. Moral of the story- don't fall in love.
snnoogwee said…
Tony shot Rico dead, now he is in prison for life.
Dribfunk said…
I'd always pondered that maybe Tony shot Rico and he went to jail for it.

Lola lost her Tony that way?

But there are so many variations available. Another option is that the bullet hit Lola, disfiguring or disabling her; ruining her showgirl career.

Reckless Psycho said…
Lola got them both with one sho then ran off with her lesbian lover who never satisfied her
Unknown said…
Just listened to the song again and I got to wondering… “Everybody KNOWS that Lola fired the shot, right?” And that’s why at the end, “she lost her youth and she lost her Tony now she’s lost her mind!…”

That’s ALWAYS been my take on it
Unknown said…
There are so many theories about what in the Copacabana that night but mine is that, lola was the one that died.
Think about it, she was shot by rico and she died instantly but she still remains at the Copacabana after 30 years time because her spirit still remains at the place where she died which would make sense as to why she’s ‘still in the dress she use to wear, faded feathers in her hair’.
So she lost her youth because of her passing but she lost her tony because had to stay and watch him at the Copacabana not being able to communicate with him because she had unfinished business with him since her love story with tony wasnt over, which lead her to lose her mind since tony started to move on with his life.

taijah,sara and anaya
Unknown said…
My theory is that lola was the one that die and not rico or tony. I believe this because when lola died her ghost remained at the place where she died(the Copacabana) which would explain why she was still in the dress she used to wear with faded feathers in her hair thirty years later and since ghost always have unfinished business which they didn’t complete when they where still alive, it would make sense to believe that lola’s unfinished business was her love story with tony but she goes mad and loses her mind because she has to watch tony move on with his life and not being able to speak to him.
Also, she drinks herself half blind because tony was a bartender, so she would be drinking the drink tony poured.

sandra, tanisha and alex
Unknown said…
My theory is that lola was the one that die and not rico or tony. I believe this because when lola died her ghost remained at the place where she died(the Copacabana) which would explain why she was still in the dress she used to wear with faded feathers in her hair thirty years later and since ghost always have unfinished business which they didn’t complete when they where still alive, it would make sense to believe that lola’s unfinished business was her love story with tony but she goes mad and loses her mind because she has to watch tony move on with his life and not being able to speak to him.
Also, she drinks herself half blind because tony was a bartender, so she would be drinking the drink tony poured.

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