Carly Simon – You're So Vain

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Send "You're So Vain" Ringtone to Cell

You walked into the party
Like you were walking onto a yacht
Your hat strategically dipped below one eye
Your scarf, it was apricot
You had one eye on the mirror
As you watched yourself gavotte
And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner
They'd be your partner, and...

You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain, you're so vain
I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you?
Don't you?

Oh, you had me several years ago
When I was still quite naive
Well, you said that we made such a pretty pair
And that you would never leave
But you gave away the things you loved
And one of them was me
I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee
Clouds in my coffee, and...

You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain, you're so vain
I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you?
Don't you?

I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee
Clouds in my coffee, and...

You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain, you're so vain
I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you?
Don't you?

Well, I hear you went up to Saratoga
And your horse, naturally, won
Then you flew your Learjet up to Nova Scotia
To see the total eclipse of the sun
Well, you're where you should be all the time
And when you're not, you're with some underworld spy
Or the wife of a close friend
Wife of a close friend, and...

You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain, you're so vain
I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you?
Don't you?

Send "You're So Vain" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by shut

Track duration: 04:22


You're So Vain song meanings
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80 Comments

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  • 0
    Song Meaning:Saw Carly on Piers Morgan last night. He overrode her every time she started to express spiritual thoughts. That was pitiful journalism on his part. But she was so cool -- she handled it gracefully. If you can't part part of moving ignorance to enlightenment -- walk away. It's not yours to carry. Can't wait to read her new book. She wrote it without a ghost. That is courage.
    Flag Kimyerson April 14, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:No. Not if they KNOW for certain. The song only works if there is a deliberate degree of ambiguity in the lyrics as they may relate to actual events. That's why I think it is quite possible that Carly Simon is the unwitting subject of the song herself. Depends on who actually wrote the song.
    Flag googseyon September 19, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Would someone be considered vain just because they know songs were written for them?
    Flag IhaveQuestionson September 12, 2010   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:I wonder if Carly Simon actually believes the song IS about her own life...

    ... wouldn't it be hilarious if Mick Jagger actually wrote the song for her and let her claim the credit. The music has a very Stones-like sound about it. He even gets in on the act singing the backing vocals, and all the while SHE thinks the song is about HER...

    Good one, Mick.
    Flag googseyon June 19, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think David Geffen could be one the composite males that make up the subject of this song (His middle name has an "r" in it. The biggest clue for me is the "clouds in my coffe" line. I think "clouds" refers to Joni Mitchell's 1970 album of the same. Both Mitchell and Carly were under contract with Geffen's Asylum label, and Carly was jealous of the attention Geffen was lavishing on Joni and her recordings, presumably at the expense of Carly's work which hadn't yet broken into the mainstream. The two ladies were rivals and since Joni broke out first I could see Carly being somewhat envious at that point in her career. And if there was a man involved in all this, multiply the tension by 100X. Just my theory.
    Flag Irishmonkon March 16, 2010   Link
  • -1
    Song Meaning:Carly Simon finally announced yesterday (2/26/10) that this song is not about Mick Jagger, James Taylor or Warren Beatty, as most people surmise. It is about David Geffen. She has a new acoustic album out on which she plays this song, and she whispers his name backwards in it. Mystery solved!
    Flag rokouton February 27, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I read in a magazine several years ago that had an interview with Carly Simon about the song "You're So Vain" in which she admitted the song was actually written about three men and yes one of them was indeed Warren Beatty
    Flag sugarbaireon February 24, 2010   Link
    • 3 Replies
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I believe this song is a compilation of the men in her life prior to her marriage to James Taylor in 1973, leaning heavily toward Warren Beatty.
    Check out this link showing interviews of Carly throughout the years concerning this topic.

    carlysimon.com/vain/…

    Sounds like we will never know as she wants to keep the mystery alive, so far so good.

    Flag NickdaGreekon January 18, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Classic classic classic song. Carly had to have known a narcissist to have written this. Don't know who it's about, but for anyone who has ever been "close" with a narcissist, this song pretty much sums up the horrifying experience.
    Flag Goodtimes13on January 09, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is beautiful.
    just simply gorgeous.
    Flag mexiLOVEon December 15, 2009   Link

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