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"You're So Vain" is a song by the American singer-songwriter
Carly Simon Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25, 1943) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records; her 13 Billboard Hot 100, top 40 U.S. hits include "Anticipation (song), Anticipatio ...
, released as a single in November 1972. The lyrics describe a self-absorbed lover, whose identity has long been a matter of speculation. Simon said the song refers to three men, one of whom she has named publicly: the actor
Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career has spanned over six decades, and he has received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. He also received the Irving G. Thalberg Memor ...
. Simon wrote "You're So Vain" over the course of a year. The song was originally titled "Bless You, Ben." The
bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...
intro was played by
Klaus Voormann Klaus Otto Wilhelm Voormann (born 29 April 1938) is a German graphic artist, artist, musician, and record producer. Voormann was the bassist for Manfred Mann from 1966 to 1969, and performed as a session musician on a host of recordings, includ ...
. The strings were arranged by Simon and orchestrated by Paul Buckmaster. In early 1973, "You're So Vain" reached No. 1 in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In 1994, it was ranked 72nd in the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' 50th anniversary all-time chart. At the 16th Annual Grammy Awards in 1974, it was nominated for Song of the Year,
Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. It was voted No. 216 in
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
's Songs of the Century, and in August 2014, the UK's
Official Charts Company The Official UK Charts Company Limited (formerly Music Industry Chart Services Limited), trading as the Official Charts Company (OCC) or the Official Charts (formerly the Chart Information Network), is a British inter-professional organisation ...
named it the ultimate song of the 1970s. In 2021, the song was ranked 495th on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.


Lyrics

A year after Simon had written the chorus lyric, "You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you," a scarfed man arriving at a party studied himself in a mirror; Simon's friend said, "he looks like he's walking onto a yacht," inspiring more lyrics, including, "You…watched yourself gavotte." That refers to a French dance, as it provided the necessary rhyme and "that's what a pretentious, vain man would do." The line "clouds in my coffee" was inspired by a comment from her piano player, Billy Mernit, who observed that clouds were reflected in a cup of coffee she was drinking. The lyrics, “Then you flew your Learjet up to
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
, to see the total eclipse of the sun," may refer to a 1972 eclipse only visible in northern and eastern Canada a few months before she recorded the song, or to a 1970 eclipse visible along the east coast of North America, where Simon lived. The 2012 biography ''More Room in a Broken Heart: The True Adventures of Carly Simon'' quotes her: "I didn't know anyone who raced at Saratoga or went to view the total eclipse, I just wanted to portray someone who thought he was ultra-cool."


Subject

In 1972, Simon told an interviewer that the song was about "men", not a specific man. In 1983, she said it was not about
Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...
, who contributed uncredited
backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
to the song. In a 1993 book, Angie Bowie said she was the wife of a "close friend" mentioned in "You're So Vain", and that Jagger had been "obsessed" with her. Simon appeared as a guest artist on
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...
's 2001 single " Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)", which sampled "You're So Vain". In the song, Simon recites: "The apricot scarf was worn by Nick / Nothing in the words referred to Mick." "Nick" refers to the novelist Nicholas Delbanco, whom Simon dated in the 1960s. Simon denied that the song referred to her ex-husband
James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the single "Fi ...
.
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
, David Cassidy and
Cat Stevens Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; ), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and musician. He has sold more than 100 million records and has more than two billion st ...
have been cited by the press as possibilities. In August 2003, Simon agreed to reveal the subject to the highest bidder of the
Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, lying just south of Cape Cod. It is known for being a popular, affluent summer colony, and includes the smaller peninsula Chappaquiddick Isla ...
Possible Dreams charity auction. The highest bid was $50,000 from Simon's friend Dick Ebersol, the president of
NBC Sports NBC Sports is an American programming division for NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, that is responsible for sports broadcasts on their broadcast network NBC, the Cable television, cable channels NBC owns, and on Peacock (streaming service) ...
. A condition of the prize was that Ebersol not reveal the name. Simon allowed him to divulge a clue, and he said the person's name contained the letter E. In 2004, Simon said the name also contained the letters A and R. In 2005, Simon's ex-husband, Jim Hart, said he was sure the song was not about anyone famous. In her 2008 book ''Girls Like Us'', Sheila Weller includes a detailed account of Simon's love affair with the musician Dan Armstrong, and suggests that he was the inspiration. However her heartbreak over losing him inspired the song "Dan, My Fling", which appears on her first album. After her 2014 interview on his radio show, Howard Stern said Simon had privately revealed the identity to him, saying, "There is an odd aspect to it... He's not that vain." He also claimed it was a "composite of three people". Simon confirmed that she had given the names to a few people, including Stern. In an interview for
WNYC WNYC is an audio service brand, under the control of New York Public Radio, a non-profit organization. Radio and other audio programming is primarily provided by a pair of nonprofit, noncommercial, public radio stations: WNYC (AM) and WNYC- ...
in November 2009, Simon said she had hidden the name of the subject in a new recording of the song. 2010 a representative for Simon said the name was "David".Simon in '' Uncut'' magazine interview, as reported by Media outlets speculated that the subject was the
Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...
executive David Geffen. Hart immediately downplayed this. Simon later claimed she had not met Geffen when she wrote the song in 1971. Simon's publicist confirmed the song was not about Geffen, but that there was "a David who is connected to the song in some way, shape, or form". '' Vanity Fair'' noted that in addition to "David", "Warren" and an unintelligible name are whispered in the song. After her performance of the song with Simon in July 2013, the songwriter
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
said that Simon had revealed the identity of the subject to her in confidence. In 1983, Simon said the actor
Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career has spanned over six decades, and he has received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. He also received the Irving G. Thalberg Memor ...
"certainly thought it was about him—he called me and said thanks for the song". In 2007, Beatty said, "Let's be honest. That song was about me." In November 2015, Simon, promoting her memoirs, said, "I have confirmed that the second verse is Warren ... Warren thinks the whole thing is about him ... Now, that doesn't mean that the other two verses aren't also about Warren. It just means that the second one is." The song originally had a fourth verse, possibly including another subject.


Reception

Reviewing the single, '' Record World'' called it Simon's "most commercial song yet", praising the lyrics, melody and string arrangements. At the 16th Annual Grammy Awards in 1974, "You're So Vain" was nominated for Song of the Year,
Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. In 1994, "You're So Vain" was ranked 72nd in the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' 50th anniversary all-time chart. It was voted No. 216 in
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
's Songs of the Century, and in 2014 the UK
Official Charts Company The Official UK Charts Company Limited (formerly Music Industry Chart Services Limited), trading as the Official Charts Company (OCC) or the Official Charts (formerly the Chart Information Network), is a British inter-professional organisation ...
named it the ultimate song of the 1970s. In 2021, it was ranked 495th on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.


Sales

The song was a No. 1 hit in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and reached No 4 in Ireland and South Africa. Entering at No. 99 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on 2 December 1972, the song took five more weeks to rise to the top of the chart, where it stayed for the first three weeks of 1973. It was replaced by
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...
's "
Superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic (supernatural), magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly app ...
" and spent the next month in the runner-up spot. It also spent two weeks at the top of the
Easy Listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to the 1970s. It is related to middle of the road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit s ...
chart in early 1973, her first No. 1 on either chart. "You're So Vain" was Simon's breakthrough hit in the United Kingdom, reaching No. 3 on the UK chart on its original release in 1973.


Personnel

*
Carly Simon Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25, 1943) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records; her 13 Billboard Hot 100, top 40 U.S. hits include "Anticipation (song), Anticipatio ...
– lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic piano, string arrangement * Jimmy Ryan – guitars *
Klaus Voormann Klaus Otto Wilhelm Voormann (born 29 April 1938) is a German graphic artist, artist, musician, and record producer. Voormann was the bassist for Manfred Mann from 1966 to 1969, and performed as a session musician on a host of recordings, includ ...
– bass * Jim Gordon – drums * Richard Perry – percussion * Paul Buckmaster – orchestration *
Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...
- backing vocals * Vicki Brown - backing vocals * Liza Strike - backing vocals The
Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
singer
Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...
contributed uncredited backing vocals. Simon said she invited him to join the recording as he happened to be in the studio.


Track listing

;7" single * "You're So Vain" – 4:25 * "His Friends Are More Than Fond of Robin" – 3:00


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


All-time charts


Certifications and sales


Awards

* "You're So Vain" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004.


Chocolate Starfish version

In 1993, Australian rock band Chocolate Starfish covered the song as their debut single from their self-titled debut album. The single reached No. 11 in Australia and No. 29 in New Zealand.


See also

* List of ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one singles of 1973 *
List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1973 (U.S.) In 1973, ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine published a record chart, chart ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the easy listening market. The chart, which in 1973 was entitled Easy Listening, has undergone vario ...
* List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1970s * List of RPM number-one singles of 1973 *"
You Oughta Know "You Oughta Know" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, released as the lead single from her third studio album, ''Jagged Little Pill'', on July 10, 1995. After releasing two studio albums, Morissette left MCA Records, MCA Re ...
", a song with another mystery subject


References


External links


Carly Simon's Official Website
{{Authority control 1972 songs 1972 singles 1973 singles 1993 debut singles Carly Simon songs Chocolate Starfish songs Songs written by Carly Simon Song recordings produced by Richard Perry Elektra Records singles Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles Number-one singles in Australia Number-one singles in New Zealand Oricon International Singles Chart number-one singles RPM Top Singles number-one singles Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients Songs about actors Works about narcissism Diss tracks Songs about infidelity