So, explain the song "You're So Vain" to me

[cathmom]

If she is singing the song to him/about him, then isn't he right to be vain? She says, "You probably think this song is about you" but it is.

 

Huh?

[IsabelC]

It's a paradox :lol:

[KidsHappen]

Well, the deal is that we don't really know who she is singing the song to/about. Apparently there are a few prominent contenders (Warren Betty & James Taylor amoung them) all of which probably think the song is about them. It is supposedly a well guarded secret as to whom it is that she is actually singing about. I think the point is to leave all of them wondering if she is talking about them.

[Carol in Cal.]

That means it's not completely available to logical analysis. The lady prefers to remain somewhat mysterious, the picture on the album cover notwithstanding.

[cathmom]

Interesting. I didn't know that there multiple people it could be about. I actually never heard the song until Brooke White sang it on American Idol a couple of years ago. I think Carly Simon was a bit before my time.

[OnTheBrink]

Interesting. I didn't know that there multiple people it could be about. I actually never heard the song until Brooke White sang it on American Idol a couple of years ago. I think Carly Simon was a bit before my time.

 

whippersnapper. :glare:

 

 

 

 

 

 

:lol:

[Lovedtodeath]

 

whippersnapper. :glare:

I know, right? Before your time? Really?

[KidsHappen]

Interesting. I didn't know that there multiple people it could be about. I actually never heard the song until Brooke White sang it on American Idol a couple of years ago. I think Carly Simon was a bit before my time.

 

She was born in 1945 and that was a number one hit in 1972. She was married to James Taylor (and had two children with him) and also had relationships with Betty, Mick Jagger and Kris Kristofferson. Here is a wiki article that has a bit about the song:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carly_Simon

 

My first thought was that certainly if you had a kid in college you couldn't be too young to have heard of Carly but I guess you could have been born in 1972 and have a kids in college. :001_huh:

[cathmom]

I was born in 1971 LOL.

[cathmom]

I also didn't know that she was married to James Taylor.

[cathmom]

Thanks for that link! I wondered who the guy was that I could hear singing in the song - it was Mick Jagger.

[KidsHappen]

Kris Kristofferson.

 

You know, now that I think about it, the son was probably not about him. I really can't picture him with an apricot scarf. The rest of them, sure but him, not so much. ;)

[cathmom]

I apologize if I made anyone feel not as young as they know they are! I didn't mean it like that.

 

I certainly knew who Carly Simon was, I just didn't know that song.

[OnTheBrink]

I apologize if I made anyone feel not as young as they know they are! I didn't mean it like that.

 

I certainly knew who Carly Simon was, I just didn't know that song.

 

You're only 5 years younger than I am. I guess I was more attuned to pop music at a young age. LOL

[Hillary in KS]

I think that she's singing the song with a particular guy in mind. She's singing *about* him, not *to* him.

 

But she knows this guy and assumes that when he hears it he will think it's about him. Because, in his mind, it couldn't *possibly* be about anyone else.

[cathmom]

You're only 5 years younger than I am. I guess I was more attuned to pop music at a young age. LOL

 

My mother liked classical music and my father liked old country like Hank Williams, Sr. That's mostly what I heard until age 12 or so. It's probably hard to be LESS attuned to pop music than I was LOL.

[Mrs Mungo]

I was born in 1971 LOL.

 

I also didn't know that she was married to James Taylor.

 

My mother liked classical music and my father liked old country like Hank Williams, Sr. That's mostly what I heard until age 12 or so. It's probably hard to be LESS attuned to pop music than I was LOL.

 

 

I was going to say... I was born in 1972 and I knew all of that! But my parents were young hippies, that probably explains it. ;)

[cathmom]

I was going to say... I was born in 1972 and I knew all of that! But my parents were young hippies, that probably explains it. ;)

 

My parents were probably about as far from young hippies as it was possible to be LOL!!

[LibraryLover]

My sister is about your age, and named her dc partly after Carly Simon, but more because of a children's book she liked that Carly published with Jackie Onassis. Funny what we notice growing up. Or not. lol

 

Here are CS's books:

www.carlysimon.com/books/Books.htm

 

:)

Edited February 14, 2010 by LibraryLover

[Carrie12345]

I was born in 1977 and have loved the song for as long as I can remember. I don't know if my parents ever played it, but it's shown up in various contexts over the years. Idol (not sure which season) made me fall in love with it all over again.

 

Still, I had no idea who the contenders were. ;)

Which is kind of funny when you consider I grew up in a house where the soundtrack was usually courtesy of The Rolling Stones and James Taylor, lol!

[Lovedtodeath]

I was born in 1976 but my Dad was a record collector, so I know a lot of 60's and 70's songs. :)

[Remudamom]

For merciful heavens!! Y'all are making me feel ancient. Born in the 70s????? I was born in the 50s. I think I'm going to sign off and take some geritol or something.

 

Aurghhhh!! I GRADUATED in 76. I'm old enough to be y'all's mothers.

[Parrothead]

For merciful heavens!! Y'all are making me feel ancient. Born in the 70s????? I was born in the 50s. I think I'm going to sign off and take some geritol or something.

 

Aurghhhh!! I GRADUATED in 76. I'm old enough to be y'all's mothers.

You are not that much older than me. I'll claim being born in the 60's.

 

As to the song, I'd always heard it was about Warren Beatty. My mom told me once that if someone knew Warren Beatty at all they would know the song was about him.

 

I'd no idea about the other contenders.

[ConnieB]

Carly Simon's website has a whole page about it....including excerpts from interviews she has done over the years. Reading all those articles where in one she hints it might be about this one, or is a little about that one, or isn't about this one.......I think she wrote it about all the men she's known who are vain (as the crowd she would run with would make that a large group!) .

 

http://www.carlysimon.com/vain/vain.html

[OhM]

Wow - I just read the wiki article about it! I always heard Mick Jagger or Warren Beatty - but how interesting!

 

And I'm only a *few* years older than the OP, but was thoroughly schooled in Carly Simon because by 1975, my mom had collected all of her albums (I think there were 5) and played them *constantly*. :lol: I bet my subconsious could remember all the words to all the songs.

 

Jim Croce was another. And (oddly, if you knew my mom) - Steely Dan. (Let's just say the reference in their name completely escaped her.):lol:

[Renthead Mommy]

The whole discussion about "Who is it" came up often when Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know" came out because her's was also a big "Who is it about? Who pissed her off THAT much?" type of thing. That one is supposedly the guy from "Full House".

 

As to the old thing. I was born in 1970. I realized I was getting old when Fergie was getting discussed on the radio all the time and I was wondering what The Duchess of York could be doing to be talked about so much. Then I found out it was a different Fergie.

 

The old thing was confirmed the other night when I watched the "We are the world" clip. Granted I wasn't paying super attention, but I realized the only people I recongnized were Lionel Ritchie, Quincy Jones, Barbara Streisand, Celien Dion, Jeff Bridges (total shocker he was in there!), Pink, and Michael and Janet Jackson. So yeah, feeling old.

[HRAAB]

Geez! I was 12 when the song came out. Loved it. Always thought it was about Warren Beatty.

 

Just feeling old, old, old.

[ereks mom]

For merciful heavens!! Y'all are making me feel ancient. Born in the 70s????? I was born in the 50s. I think I'm going to sign off and take some geritol or something.

 

Aurghhhh!! I GRADUATED in 76. I'm old enough to be y'all's mothers.

 

And you know what? I bet most people who posted in this thread have never heard of Geritol -- at least, not the Geritol I remember advertised on (black & white) television when I was a kid! :lol: :001_huh: :tongue_smilie:

 

Take a look at this:

Edited February 14, 2010 by ereks mom

[melhouse]

I was born in '64. I knew the song - mostly because I had brothers who were 10 years older than I who listened to a lot of music. Someone mentioned Jim Croce above. One of my brothers loved him. (He wrote the lyrics to "Time in a Bottle" in his girlfriend's yearbook.) Anyway, recently I picked up one of his CDs for old time's sake (this brother died a few years back, and I'm very sentimental about anything that reminds me of him). I was so surprised to be able to sing most of the lyrics right along with Jim. It had been a long time!! I'm sure those brain cells could be used for more recent things, but you never know what the brain holds on to. Completely apropos of nothing, just thought I'd share!!

 

Oops forgot the original reason I posted. In the original "Trivial Pursuit", which was a favorite game during my college years, the question is asked about this song. Warren Beatty was given as the answer.

[Shawna in Texas]

The whole discussion about "Who is it" came up often when Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know" came out because her's was also a big "Who is it about? Who pissed her off THAT much?" type of thing. That one is supposedly the guy from "Full House".

 

:lol: I always thought that song was so edgy until I heard who it was about.

[MariannNOVA]

Good grief, I cannot believe I am posting this -- I was born in 1954 (yes, 1954) and the song is about Mick Jaggar. I used to sit at the pool with someone who was Carly Simon's neighbor on the Cape and apparently it came from reliable sources that it was about Mick Jaggar.

 

And, if James Taylor isn't still just the coolest person.....I saw him a couple of weeks ago on some PBS show - cannot remember more than that except that it was 1972 all over again and.....again..... I thought he was the BEST!

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

Good grief, I cannot believe I am posting this -- I was born in 1954 (yes, 1954) and the song is about Mick Jaggar. I used to sit at the pool with someone who was Carly Simon's neighbor on the Cape and apparently it came from reliable sources that it was about Mick Jaggar.

 

And, if James Taylor isn't still just the coolest person.....I saw him a couple of weeks ago on some PBS show - cannot remember more than that except that it was 1972 all over again and.....again..... I thought he was the BEST!

 

 

:iagree: The song couldn't possibly be about James Taylor, he is pretty cool.

[Storm Bay]

For merciful heavens!! Y'all are making me feel ancient. Born in the 70s????? I was born in the 50s. I think I'm going to sign off and take some geritol or something.

 

Aurghhhh!! I GRADUATED in 76. I'm old enough to be y'all's mothers.

 

Not mine :). I've recently entered the 50 club even though I was born in an entirely different decade than you were.

 

cathmom -- I do remember You're so Vain, but I had no idea what rock was until I was nearly 11--I thought it was called Jazz. My dad is a super Classical music buff & I don't remember my mother listening to rock when I was a kid. I do remember her having the original broadway recording (on a record, of course) of The Sound of Music with Mary Martin, though.

 

I think the explanation of more than one man that it could be makes a lot of sense.

 

Carol-- Poetry can be analyzed, btw, although whether or not it can be analyzed logically is a whole other kettle of fish;). We did lots of poetry analysis in English in university (I chose poetry & drama over books because I hated literary analysis.)

[Aubrey]

For merciful heavens!! Y'all are making me feel ancient. Born in the 70s????? I was born in the 50s. I think I'm going to sign off and take some geritol or something.

 

Aurghhhh!! I GRADUATED in 76. I'm old enough to be y'all's mothers.

 

My mom graduated in '76! ;) But she got married right away & had babies quickly, so I'm older than your dc. :001_smile:

 

I know the song, though, & I know who Carly Simon is. Music was one of the only things my parents agreed about.

 

OP--When it comes to poetry, I'm of the school of thought that says it doesn't matter *who* a song is about. There may be a surface layer of meaning like that, but ultimately, I think it's irrelevant. Or at least mostly irrelevant.

 

I don't know if I'd go as far as to call it irony, but I've always imagined the song as coming from a very angry place--do you ever get irrational when you're mad & end up saying things that don't make sense? Oh, yeah? Oh, yeah? Well YOU'RE so VAIN I bet you EVEN think this SONG is about you. (When we both know it's about this vanity problem you have & not actually YOU.)

 

But I hear it as self-depreciating humor. You know, making fun of ourselves & the silly things we say when we're mad. Things that make sense...sort-of...but really, really don't.

 

A couple I know was arguing once, & the dh said something to the dw to the effect of, "You're being illogical."

 

She said, "Well, logic is of the devil!" :lol:

 

I think it's like that.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

She's messing with their heads, all of them (whoever they are).

[Dawn in OH]

Interesting. I didn't know that there multiple people it could be about. I actually never heard the song until Brooke White sang it on American Idol a couple of years ago. I think Carly Simon was a bit before my time.

 

What? Before your time?

I know and love that song. I also like the Faster Pussycat version. I've never heard of Brooke White.

[Caroline]

I was born in 1970. I love Carly Simon. (Although I always think of ketchup when I hear Anticipation.) I have heard interviews with all of the suspects, and they all think the song is about them. I love James Taylor, too.

[Tree House Academy]

Now I can't stop singing this song. Thanks. :lol:

[Tree House Academy]

For merciful heavens!! Y'all are making me feel ancient. Born in the 70s????? I was born in the 50s. I think I'm going to sign off and take some geritol or something.

 

Aurghhhh!! I GRADUATED in 76. I'm old enough to be y'all's mothers.

 

Not my mother. I was born 3 years after you graduated, but my mom was born in 1949. :)

[Jean in Newcastle]

Both my parents were born in the 1920's. (I was the youngest by some years).

[Lovedtodeath]

 

Not my mother. I was born 3 years after you graduated, but my mom was born in 1949. :)

I was born in 1976, my mom was born in 1949. My sister was born in 1969. :)

[cathmom]

Now I can't stop singing this song. Thanks. :lol:

 

You're entirely welcome! :lol:

[Jenny Piaaree]

(Although I always think of ketchup when I hear Anticipation.)

 

 

:lol: Exactly! (I was born in 1970, too)

[rockermom]

I was born in 1976, my mom was born in 1949. My sister was born in 1969. :)

 

I was born in 1975, mom in 1938 and Dad in 1941. I'm the youngest (of 6) by 10 years.

 

This song has always made me smile. I do remember it coming up when the "You Oughta Know" question was all the buzz as well. I had never heard of Carly Simon until sometime in the early/mid 80's when HBO aired a concert of hers. It was advertised constantly.

[KidsHappen]

For merciful heavens!! Y'all are making me feel ancient. Born in the 70s????? I was born in the 50s. I think I'm going to sign off and take some geritol or something.

 

Aurghhhh!! I GRADUATED in 76. I'm old enough to be y'all's mothers.

 

Not me hon. You've only got a few years on me and are the same age as my first hubby. Although, I have to admit 72 was a bit before my time, I am a big 70s music buff. Most of the music I listen to came out between say 65-and maybe 85 (at the latest), mostly classic rock and country but also lots of what I guess was considered pop like James Tayler, Jim Croce, Simon & Garfunkle, Harry Chapin, the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, etc.

[TravelingChris]

The old thing was confirmed the other night when I watched the "We are the world" clip. Granted I wasn't paying super attention, but I realized the only people I recongnized were Lionel Ritchie, Quincy Jones, Barbara Streisand, Celien Dion, Jeff Bridges (total shocker he was in there!), Pink, and Michael and Janet Jackson. So yeah, feeling old.

 

My kids said that Kanye West and the Black Eyed Peas were there too. But I am with you and those were the only people I recognized too.