You Probably Think This Post is About You
don't you, don't you?
Ever really listen to the lyrics of You’re So Vain by Carly Simon?
That vain dude was a dick. But who was Simon singing about? In 2022 the 70s chanteuse finally revealed which ass wipe inspired the song— Warren Beatty.
Hubby-Jeffrey and I like to listen to music while we cook. I was never into music the way hubby was/is. He sang on Broadway in the 80s, and he still sings as a “hobby.” Sometimes on the weekends he’ll muddle through sheet music at our upright piano gifted to him by his grandmother when he was 16. Yes, we still have it. Back then, his cousins had asked their wealthy grandmother for a car. Jeffrey wanted a piano. Whenever he asks me what I want for my birthday I always tell him to sing me a song. If it’s a big birthday, record it.
“Which one?” he’d ask.
“You choose.”
He’s almost omniscient when it comes to songs, lyrics and genres.
We were making a mega salad for dinner when You’re So Vain came up on his Spotify. Some of the following was my response to the lyrics while other comments I had to look up for this post…
Son of a Gun
What Carly really wanted to say was, “Son of a bitch,” but it was the early 70s when it was okay for rock ‘n roll guys to swear but not earthy soft-poppy-folksy Carly Simon.
You walked into the party like you were walking onto a yacht
Why would she ever fall for a yacht dude? Maybe it was expected of her. Carly’s dad was THE Simon as in Simon and Schuster, the gigantor publishing house. Her family enjoyed terrific wealth and probably languished on boats that represented the size of the owner’s phallus.
Your hat strategically dipped below one eye
Really? That was a turn on?
Your scarf it was apricot
Guys and scarves. Hmmm. If it’s thirty degrees, yes, you may wear a scarf. But Beatty lived in LA. which meant he most likely wore a silk scarf; something that just doesn’t groove on a dude. Ah but it was 1974—Beatty’s stylist probably said, “You’re a gorgeous movie star. And didn’t you want to play Jay Gatsby but the part was given to Redford? Here’s your chance, wear the orange scarf, SO Gatsbyesque.”
You had one eye in the mirror, as you watched yourself Gavotte
Raise your hand if you know what a “Gavotte” is. It’s an 18th century dance. Doesn’t really go with the story line but it rhymes. Plus, it made Carly seem well read, like she had a first edition of Pride and Prejudice in her library in Martha’s Vineyard.
I always thought the lyric was “Go Vot” and in my goofy 8 year old head I surmised that “vot” was a toilet. I giggled at the thought of the vain guy watching himself go to the bathroom. When my mom took me and my sisters shopping at Bullocks, I probably announced in Shoes, “I gotta go vot.” And my mom probably knew what I meant.
And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner
They'd be your partner andYou're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
Hello? The song IS about him. This refrain never made sense to me.
You're so vain… you're so vain
As in Conceited, not the other meaning, Ineffectual.
I bet you think this song is about you
Don't you, don't you?
Hello, again. The song IS about him.
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
This song hit the charts in 1972. If Beatty and Carly dated say a year before, that would have made Carly 28 and Beatty 34. Dang, sis, I can understand “naïve” at 18 but 28? This one is on you.
I had some dreams they were clouds in my coffee, clouds in my coffee and
Clouds? Did the cream curdle? I never understood this visual.
You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain, you're so vain…
Long refrain so I focused on mixing the chicken in soy free mayonnaise which would top our mega salad.
I bet you think this song is about you
Don't you don't you, don't you?…I had some dreams they were clouds in my coffee, clouds in my coffee and
Next time you drink coffee you will think of coagulated cream, won’t you, won’t you?
You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain (you're so vain)
I bet you think this song is about you
Don't you don't you
Here I added curry powder, walnuts and currents to the chicken salad.
Well I hear you went up to Saratoga
And your horse naturally won
Maybe Beatty knew the horse was pumped with testosterone.
Then you flew your Lear jet up to Nova Scotia
To see the total eclipse of the sun
Trivia: In 2022 Bombadier Learjets ended their six decade history due to the lighter, more efficient competition. July 10, 1972 there was indeed a total solar eclipse in Nova Scotia. Isn’t Google amazing?
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
Hubby was chopping the carrots when I shouted, “What a man whore! He screwed the wife of a close friend!?” Hubby agreed, “man whore.”
You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain… so vain
I bet you think this song is about you
Don't you don't you, don't you, don't you now….
Hubby and I sat down for dinner.
“I’m still pissed at Beatty even though this was written like 100 years ago.”
“Think of a good revenge song.”
“Okay Mr. Know Every Song Written. Like what?”
“I got it,” said hubby. “Carrie Underwood’s ’Before He Cheats.’”
I smiled wide. “Bingo.”
Hubby started singing. I love when he sings and was glad I couldn’t tell him to stop and eat his dinner, it’s getting cold, because it was already cold.
Time to Share
always shares an “Earworm” on Notes every day and writes about bands I’ve never heard of and fab life advice in her thoughtful blog. is doing a musical December on her Substack. has a wicked funny essay where he deciphers the Pina Colada song.Finally, here is hubby fooling around on his computer, singing Gethsemane from Jesus Christ Superstar. Oh Jeffrey wants you to know this wasn’t meant for public consumption.
What song pisses you off or makes your day?
Do you listen to music or are you non musical like me?
Were/Are you a Carly Simon fan?
Do you ever have a really big salad for dinner?
Does hubby still got it or what?
I didn't know ANY of the lyrics to this song except the main part. This song always annoyed the crap out of me because even as a kid I was like, the song IS about him! It never made sense to me 😂
Thanks so much for the kind mention, Carissa. You rule. BTW, the song is about 3 men, only one of which she named publicly, so there's more than one character to decipher, which also makes the chorus make more sense. Because, yes, it is about him...but also not about him...but he'll still think that part's about him. I love mansplaining. LOL. xo