# "You're So Vain"- who's it about? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 10, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-whos-it-about/174385 "2003-05-10T20:51:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PiscesPrincess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f1d935/32.png) [@PiscesPrincess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PiscesPrincess)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-whos-it-about/174385/1 "2003-05-10T20:51:17Z")
Total brain meltdown - who is the old Carly Simon song “You’re So Vain” about? James Taylor? Mick Jagger? Warren Beatty? Or …? Help!?! Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-whos-it-about/174385/2 "2003-05-10T20:54:24Z")
I always heard it was James Taylor. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-whos-it-about/174385/3 "2003-05-10T20:55:24Z")
I thought I heard Warren Beatty, but it’s only a vague recollection. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-whos-it-about/174385/4 "2003-05-10T20:56:08Z")
I thought it was about me… ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-whos-it-about/174385/5 "2003-05-10T21:00:44Z")
I don’t think Carly ever really said who it was about. I know James does backup on the song, so it’d be pretty funny if she wrote it about him. The lyrics seem to describe Warren Beatty more than James…the jetsetting and such. Great song, though! ---
**Author:** ![StephenG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@StephenG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StephenG)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-whos-it-about/174385/6 "2003-05-10T21:23:41Z")
According to Trivial Pursuit, it’s Richard Nixon. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-whos-it-about/174385/7 "2003-05-10T21:29:11Z")
You probably think this song is about you… ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-whos-it-about/174385/8 "2003-05-10T21:55:48Z")
[Snopes link](http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/oughta.htm), referring to the Carly Simon song in an article about Alanis Morissette’s _You Oughta Know_. Both artists have never revealed the subjects of the songs. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-whos-it-about/174385/9 "2003-05-10T21:56:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by QueerGeekGirl \* > \*\*I don’t think Carly ever really said who it was about. I know James does backup on the song, so it’d be pretty funny if she wrote it about him. The lyrics seem to describe Warren Beatty more than James…the jetsetting and such. > > Great song, though! \*\* Mick Jagger sings backup, too. He thinks it’s about him as well. ---
**Author:** ![japatlgt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@japatlgt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/japatlgt)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-whos-it-about/174385/10 "2003-05-10T22:29:21Z")
Ditto James Taylor. They were married once and supposedly had an acrimonious split which inspired the song. They’d since resolved their differences. Just what I heard IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-whos-it-about/174385/11 "2003-05-10T22:30:57Z")
Welcome to the SDMB, **PiscesPrincess**. Since this is about a song, I’ll move this thread to our arts forum, Cafe Society. bibliophage moderator GQ ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-whos-it-about/174385/12 "2003-05-10T23:25:49Z")
I once heard it was about Elton John. I have no cites or proof. I don’t even know whether Carly Simon ever dated Elton John, or even met him. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-whos-it-about/174385/13 "2003-05-10T23:42:35Z")
I had always heard it was about Warren Beatty. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-so-vain-whos-it-about/174385/14 "2003-05-11T00:55:49Z")
Does it need to be about anyone? As Carly Simon isn’t saying, perhaps its about someone, perhaps she just thought in an interesting paradox and wrote a song.