# clouds in my coffee? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 21, 2001, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clouds-in-my-coffee/77274 "2001-08-21T01:52:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dentarthurdent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@dentarthurdent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dentarthurdent)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clouds-in-my-coffee/77274/1 "2001-08-21T01:52:56Z")
Ok, I have a few questions that have been rattling around in my head about the song “you’re so vain”. First, If the song isn’t about me…who the hell is it about? Second, What the hell does the weather in your coffee have to do with anything? I mean, I didn’t even know that cups of coffee had clouds… Now granted, I didn’t really come from that era… but I’m wondering if anyone else is as perplexed as me. Any insight would be greatly appreciated as this is one of those things that keeps me up at nights ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clouds-in-my-coffee/77274/2 "2001-08-21T02:28:00Z")
It’s about James Taylor, maybe, or perchance it’s about [Warren Beatty](http://www.carlysimon.com/vain/vain.htm). Girl got around in those days. Clouds in coffee are formed when cream is mixed into the brew. Great song. ---
**Author:** ![Tenar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clouds-in-my-coffee/77274/3 "2001-08-21T02:49:44Z")
I’ve always heard it was Warren Beatty. James Taylor is a new one on me. I have never understood the cryptic “clouds” reference, myself. Perhaps the lies and the insanity in the relationship left tne singer feeling so lonely and paranoid that she felt as if she were being poisoned. Who knows if we were even meant to understand it? It might be a reference to something that only Beatty would understand. ---
**Author:** ![Tedster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@Tedster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tedster)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clouds-in-my-coffee/77274/4 "2001-08-21T02:57:33Z")
As a trivial aside, Mick Jagger sings back up with carly on the song, you can hear him clearly at the ending chorus just before fade… Maybe he thought the song was about him… ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clouds-in-my-coffee/77274/5 "2001-08-21T03:10:55Z")
Yeah, I heard it was about Mick Jagger (and that was a long time ago that I heard that). The question is when did she write it and who had she just broken up with. But come on, folks - the line is “I had a _dream_/There were clouds in my coffee”. Have you ever had a dream that made sense? She probably liked the way it sounded, or she actually had that dream while writing the song. ---
**Author:** ![Amazing\_Magic-Gro\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e95f7d/32.png) [@Amazing\_Magic-Gro\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazing_Magic-Gro_Monster)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clouds-in-my-coffee/77274/6 "2001-08-21T05:33:22Z")
Now I always assumed it was about Fred from Scooby Doo. _**You hat strategically dipped below one eye, Your scarf, it was apricot…**_ Seriously, who else do you know who wears Apricot colored scarfs? ---
**Author:** ![Ferggie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@Ferggie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferggie)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clouds-in-my-coffee/77274/7 "2001-08-21T09:56:59Z")
It makes a hair more sense than “clowns in my coffee,” which is what I thought it was at first. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clouds-in-my-coffee/77274/8 "2001-08-21T11:25:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*Now I always assumed it was about Fred from Scooby Doo. > > _**You hat strategically dipped below one eye, > Your scarf, it was apricot…**_ > > Seriously, who else do you know who wears Apricot colored scarfs? \*\* Actually, that could have been Mick Jagger also. Probably wore it with one of those Elvis-inspired, mirror-studded jump suits and heavy eyeliner. Mick always dressed like a fop on stage (and only slightly less restrained on other occasions). ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clouds-in-my-coffee/77274/9 "2001-08-21T11:38:44Z")
The song was about Warren Beattie, with whom she was splitting up with ahen she wrote the song. And yes, It is Mick Jagger singing backing vocals.