# You're So Vain, by Carly Simon. Who is the subject? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 7, 2017, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729 "2017-09-07T14:03:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729/1 "2017-09-07T14:03:28Z")
You’re So Vain, by Carly Simon. Two weeks ago, I was in Nashville viewing a total eclipse of the sun. Four days later, I was in a bar and the TV on the wall was showing live action from Saratoga Raceway. This altered my train of thought to the Carly Simon song. To me, it’s no big deal, but a lot of people want to know the person who is the subject of the song. Somebody (allegedly) paid big bucks to have Carly tell him the answer. Since this person was sworn to secrecy, there’s no way to verify whether her story was a lot of hogwash. As I was sitting there, it occurred to me that winning horses at Saratoga, total eclipses, and Lear Jets in Nova Scotia are not that common. Why hasn’t someone tried to put the story together to figure out who is the subject of the song? There were two eclipses in Nova Scotia in the 8 years prior to the release of the song: 07-Mar-1970 and 10-Jul-1972. Since the song was released in November, 1972, it’s probably the latter, but I’m willing to keep an open mind. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729/2 "2017-09-07T14:07:24Z")
The Wiki page on this song says: “The title subject’s identity has long been a matter of speculation, with Simon stating that the song refers to three men, only one of whom she has named publicly, actor Warren Beatty.” ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729/3 "2017-09-07T15:04:52Z")
Since this is about a song, let’s move it to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729/4 "2017-09-07T15:24:06Z")
It’s about me. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729/5 "2017-09-07T16:19:17Z")
> [@bizerta](#): > > Somebody (allegedly) paid big bucks to have Carly tell him the answer. It was at a charity auction. NBC executive Dick Ebersol was the highest bidder, and Simon whispered the name(s) into his ear. To my knowledge, he’s never revealed it/them. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729/6 "2017-09-07T16:38:46Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Just Asking Questions** : > > It’s about me. You would think that, wouldn’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729/7 "2017-09-07T16:45:46Z")
Warren Beatty, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729/8 "2017-09-07T16:54:41Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > You would think that, wouldn’t you? Probably. She took some liberties, though. I don’t own a Learjet. It’s a Citation. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729/9 "2017-09-07T18:18:18Z")
From Wiki: > [@](#): > > In November 2015, Simon, promoting her about-to-be-published memoir, said, “I have confirmed that the second verse is Warren (Beatty)” and added that while “Warren thinks the whole thing is about him,” he is the subject of that verse only, with the remainder of the song referring to two other, still unnamed men. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729/10 "2017-09-07T20:49:10Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > It’s a Citation. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729/11 "2017-09-07T21:01:14Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > She took some liberties, though. I don’t own a Learjet. > > It’s a Citation. I’d like to go to Nova Scotia to see the total eclipse of the sun _[Citation needed]_ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729/12 "2017-09-07T21:18:41Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I’d like to go to Nova Scotia to see the total eclipse of the sun _[Citation needed]_ I’m where I should be all the time – aside from when I’m with some underworld spy, or the wife of a close friend. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729/13 "2017-09-07T22:10:34Z")
> [@bizerta](#): > > Why hasn’t someone tried to put the story together to figure out who is the subject of the song? Dear God, you must be joking. It’s one of the most talked-about, speculation-riddled mysteries in the history of modern music. Article after article has been written about this, and yes, the “answer” if there is only one, was auctioned off recently. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729/14 "2017-09-07T22:11:54Z")
Obviously she was pissed at some Starbuck barista who thought it was cute to make a steamed milk cloud puff design in her cuppa Joe when she asked for friggin’ black. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729/15 "2017-09-07T22:28:39Z")
I always thought it was James Taylor (or that \*one \*of them was JT). ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729/16 "2017-09-07T22:46:31Z")
I always thought Mick Jagger was one of the three. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729/17 "2017-09-07T23:05:25Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > I always thought Mick Jagger was one of the three. Me too. I mean, how many guys can really pull off the “apricot scarf” look? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729/18 "2017-09-08T01:19:53Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I always thought it was James Taylor (or that \*one \*of them was JT). The Ukulele Lady made me go to a Shawn Colvin/James Taylor club date in Manhattan about six months ago. The 70-year-old son of a bitch is still gorgeous. But mainly I envy him because he had his dick in Laura Nyro at one point. As close as he came to Musical Genius, unless you count holding Warren Zevon’s cock. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729/19 "2017-09-08T03:48:07Z")
So Warren was the first guy she was with? Cherry picking time. He’s about her age. So I guess that’s ok. James Taylor has to be one of the other two men. He’s got a massive ego and long ago he was attractive to the ladies. > [@](#): > > Oh, you had me several years ago > When I was still naive > Well, you said that we made such a pretty pair > And that you would never leave ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729/20 "2017-09-08T04:29:13Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > I always thought Mick Jagger was one of the three. She’s always denied he was one of them. If he was, he was a good sport about it since he sings backup vocals on the record (uncredited). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-by-carly-simon-who-is-the-subject/795729.md?page=2)