Carly Simon: You're So Vain Meaning

Song Released: 1972

You're So Vain Lyrics

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...

1. anonymous

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   Dec 22nd 2021 !⃝

   I listened to LYRICS OF THE LOST episode 7 - this song is about a Japanese businessman and also Schrodinger's cat. Mind-blowing
   
   https://anchor.fm/peter-davis6/episodes/Carly-Simons-YOURE-SO-VAIN-that-this-song-IS-about-YOU--plus-Schrodingers-Cat--the-Stay-Puft-Marshmallow-Man--and-odontophobia-e1a1ura
   
2. anonymous

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   Dec 4th 2020 !⃝

   I've heard Carly Simon talking about it not being Warren Beaty. Then in an interview years later she said it was about more than one man. And that Warren Beaty was one of them.
3. musiclova

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   Jun 17th 2016 !⃝

   I know this song is pretty obvious as far as the meaning, but there are a few subtle and relatable parts of the song that make thinking about what she's saying worthwhile:
   "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 in the mirror as you watched yourself gavotte
   And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner
   They'd be your partner, and..."
   She begins the song by setting the scene of a cocky and fashionable man walking in to a party as if it's a prestigious place, showing he thinks very highly of himself. He obviously pays attention to the way he is perceived. She does a fabulous job of explaining to him his narcissism.
   
   
   "You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you
   You're so vain, I'll bet you think this song is about you
   Don't you? don't you?"
   When I was little, this didn't make sense to me, because obviously the song is about him. But what she means is that he thinks it about him, when its about more than that. He thinks everything is about him, but he doesn't realize the effect he's had on her, and how he hurt her. He doesn't consider this, because he's too focused on himself. This is not about him, this is about making him see what he's done to her. Shes also pointing out cynically that he this this song, like everything else, is about him, as though he is the center of the solar system.
   
   "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"
   She's telling him that she was too naive when she fell in love with him to see his obvious issues (like the girls above dreaming they'd be his partner). She says she was naive for that reason, but also because she trusted him. He gave her away along with other things he loved presumably because he cant find room to care about anything, because he's so full of himself.
   
   "I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee
   Clouds in my coffee, and..."
   She had dreams of her living happily with him, but she soon "woke up" ("in my coffee"), and her dreams were extinguished
   
   "You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you
   You're so vain, I'll bet you think this song is about you
   Don't you? don't you? don't you?"
   Same as above
   
   "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, I'll bet you think this song is about you
   Don't you? don't you?"
   Same as above
   
   "Well I hear you went up to Saratoga and your horse naturally won
   Then you flew your Lear Jet up to Nova Scotia
   To see the total eclipse of the sun"
   This part is particularly relatable in my opinion because who doesn't know someone like this, someone who is perfect at everything, which only adds to their cockiness. I can almost feel her wish for him to, just once, not win at everything. He is rich (of course), and he treats himself to see amazing sights, and there is a sense that he believes he deserves the best of everything.
   
   "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..."
   Here is the key point of the song because shes explaining the extent of his selfishness, and that he truly can't love or care about anyone, because he cares solely about himself.
   
   You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you
   You're so vain, I'll bet you think this song is about you
   Don't you? don't you? don't you?
   Same as above
4. meanster

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   Mar 21st 2013 !⃝

   Don't forget to throw Mick Jagger into the mix. Rumour has it that he flew his Lear jet up to Halifax, N.S in '71 to catch the "total eclypse of the sun"!
5. anonymous

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   Jun 13th 2012 !⃝

   I believe Carly was singing about the infamous ladies man Warren Beaty, whom she dated before the song. Warren was very narcissistic before Annette Benning stole his heart
6. anonymous

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   Apr 18th 2011 !⃝

   People think the song is about her ex lover James Taylor, but it was written about David Geffen.

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