I just heard "You're so Vain" by Carly Simon

[StClone]

Okay, o.k. who was she singing about that was so vain? Haven't heard this song in years and I want some answers!

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. Maybe it was Nixon: after all the song was recorded in the early 70's.

[GOPisEvil]

2. Conventional wisdom: Warren Beatty

[Screaming Lord Byron]

7. That's the consensus. Jagger sings on it, so maybe not him, eh?

[Fenris]

12. Neither Jagger nor James Taylor.

More than likely Beatty or a composite of several men.

[SarahB]

3. I heard it was Mick Jaggar

[terrya]

Well, considering that Mick Jagger sings backup on the song..

Mick would have to be awfully forgiving. :-)

[kmla]

9. I heard it was Warren, too....

But Mick did sing backup on the song. If you listen closely, you can hear him sing "...Yawww sooo vay-yeen. You prolly theenk this song is abat-chew..." in his Mick-ish way.

Unmistakably Mick.

[Lavender Brown]

4. Someone paid a lot of $ at auction

to find this out from Carly herself. :eyes:

[Fenris]

6. That, my friend, is an asshat

I'd rather have the mystery!

[Drifter]

5. Donny Osmond ...

or maybe the Godfather of soul, Wayne Newton.

Cheers
Drifter

[tjwash]

10. LOL

"the Godfather of soul, Wayne Newton"

I'm gonna be chuckling all day after reading that one...thanks!

:7

[BOSSHOG]

8. New York Yankee Fans

Actually, Carly finally fessed up, it was Warren Beatty.

[Dead_Parrot]

11. I thought it was Matcom...

:evilgrin:

[Rowdyboy]

13. There was a rumor at the time (not saying I believed it)

that she was referring to Bobby Kennedy.

[JohnKleeb]

14. wasnt that song written in the 70's

:shrug: and Nixon lol, they played that song at the end of the movie Dick with Kirsten Duntz.

[SOteric]

15. The most persistent speculation is between these 3:

Mick Jagger,
Warren Beatty, and
Cat Stevens

All of whom she was known to have a relationship with prior to writing the song.

She has never come out and definitively announced a name as the sole inspiration for the song, but hinted it was maybe a compilation of several past relationships. I suspect the element of mystery has done much for the song.