I wonder who Carly Simon was singing about

Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” was released in the US on November 8th 1972
Was it Mick Jagger? Cat Stevens? Warren Beatty? Kris Kristofferson? Her ex-husband, James Taylor?

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Cat Stevens ? Haven’t heard that one before.Doubt it ,he always seems a modest sort of chap to me.

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It was none of those, it was someone whose name escapes me, but it wasn’t someone who was well known

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Didn’t she say it was about three men? Averse each?

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I used to think it was a song about vain people in general - but I have read various snippets of info which sounded like Carly Simon was drip-feeding snippets of info about who she was writing about - or maybe she was just just teasing!

The stuff that’s been reported range from it being about a chap with A E R in their name to the song being about 3 different people to the song being a general comment about vain men - so if you think the song is about you, it probably is! :rofl:

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I wonder if it was about Jeremy Corbyn :thinking:

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I always liked the idea that it was about you - the listener.

I didn’t think about that it was really about someone in particular.

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Carly was very smart in as much as she was ambiguous as to who the song was referring to.
Remember, at one point, Carly said she was singing about a composite of many men she had known, but later claimed that the song was about openly gay record producer David Geffen.

As smart as Bobby Gentry when she left everyone hanging as to the reason Billy Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge.

Over 5 decades later we are all still debating these great songs.

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Mart typed this so it might be him?

I knew al that digging and hard work at the allotment wouldn’t be in vain. :slight_smile:

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But we ain’t gettin no royalties

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Didn’t she reveal who it was to the highest bidder at a charity event?

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She might have been on an Ego Trip when she wrote it.

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She did. Attached was a confidentiality clause. Never been revealed.

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I think it’s definitely a cunning plan on her part to keep the mystery going

And perhaps she’s enjoying the chaps of her acquaintance all thinking it’s about them…………because they’re all so vain!

Warren Beatty did announce it was about him and she seemed to acknowledge the second verse was, then seemed to go back on it s bit. Smart move :+1:

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I always thought it was about Warren Beatty. Not anything to do with the dashing figure I cut while digging the allotment anyway. :slight_smile:

Looking around, it seems it was directed to Warren Beatty but possibly a few others too.

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What makes “You’re So Vain” such a great song? For me, it’s the line:

“I had some dreams they were clouds in my coffee clouds in my coffee”

Not only a great line but also it explains everything.

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Always heard here in the states it was about Warren Beatty.
He was (or thought he was, or tried to be) such a dashing personality. I think it went to his head.

Yep, I’m betting it was totally about him.

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