Carly Simon Names Who The Mystery Person Behind Her Hit Song ‘You’re So Vain’ Is

Sep 29, 2023

Carly Simon has one of the most distinguishable voices in rock music. Rising to fame in the 1970s, Simon was part of the folk music duo The Simon Sisters, along with her late older sister, Lucy Simon. 

After releasing three albums with her sister, the two parted ways, and Carly found success as a solo artist. She went on to become the rock music icon that she is today. In 1971, she won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, thanks to her self-titled debut album. It also earned her a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her song "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be."

She released her second album, “Anticipation,” which saw even greater commercial success. Her career took off on a global scale with the release of her third album, “No Secrets,” in 1972, which instantly became a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart for five weeks and was certified as Platinum in the United States. 

The album was monumental as it birthed her most iconic song to date – “You’re So Vain.” The song was an instant hit and lasted three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, earning her three Grammy Award nominations, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. 

The song has lasted the test of time and is still a memorable song to date. It was ranked No. 495th on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song was enveloped with mystery as it talked about a self-absorbed lover of Carly, and many had no idea who it was about. In an interview with People Magazine in November 2015, Carly finally named the vainglorious person she was talking about in the power anthem. Read on to learn more about Carly and what the song was about. 

Just like her music career, Carly’s love life and relationships were also colorful. Perhaps the most well-known relationship she had was with singer-songwriter James Taylor. Meeting in the late 1960s, the two eventually tied the knot in 1972. They had two children together – Sarah Maria “Sally” Taylor and Benjamin Taylor, who went on to follow their parents’ path to music. 

Carly and James collaborated on the song “Mockingbird,” which is also considered one of Carly’s biggest hits. Sadly, their relationship and marriage faced various challenges including substance abuse issues, which resulted in their divorce in 1983. 

Carly then married another James, in the form of artist and businessman James Hart in 1987, five years after her first divorce. Their marriage lasted twenty years, and they divorced in 2007. Since then, Carly has not entered into a relationship as she was 64 at the time of her second and final divorce. 

However, throughout the years, Carly was linked to various people in the music industry. 

In a span of seven months from 1971 to 1972, Cat Stevens and Carly were romantically linked while they had the same producers at the time. Back then, the two were musical juggernauts as they wrote and recorded songs for, and about, one another. These include "Legend in Your Own Time,” "Anticipation” and “Sweet Scarlet.” 

Aside from Stevens, The Rolling Stones lead vocalist Mick Jagger was also linked to Carly. The two had a brief romantic involvement in the 1970s. Many fans thought that Carly’s song “You’re So Vain” was about Jagger. However, this ongoing theory by fans was debunked when Carly named who she was referring to as “so vain” in her 1972 hit.

The song “You’re So Vain” has become one of Carly's most prolific songs. The song also became a pop culture classic because of its rather blunt description but catchy lyrics along with its iconic melody.

Aside from these, the speculation that surrounds the song – specifically the identity of Carly’s vainglorious lover had remained a mystery to the public for so many years. In 2013, when Taylor Swift performed the song with Carly, she revealed to her in confidence who the song was inspired by, USA Today reported. 

Then in 2015, Carly publicly named who it was to People Magazine. Carly finally scratched the itch that people had in their minds after 44 years. 

“I have confirmed that the second verse is Warren,” Carly revealed to the magazine at the time during her book tour for her memoir, “Boys In The Threes.”

Carly was referring to Hollywood actor Warren Beatty in her song “You’re So Vain.” The two had a short-lived romantic relationship in the 1970s. When asked if Beatty knew that, Carly had this to say: “Warren thinks the whole thing is about him!” This is because the whole song wasn’t inspired by just one man, it was inspired by three vainglorious men that Carly had entertained before. 

When asked if she would ever reveal them, Carly said that she didn’t think so, adding, “At least until they know it’s about them.” In an interview with ABC News, Carly revealed that it would only take her own willingness just to reveal the other people the song was inspired about. 

“I would just have to say, 'OK, I’m gonna have to dunk you both into this fever that is people still wanting to know.' I still can’t understand that!” she admitted. 

Are you a fan of Carly Simon? Do you have any theories on who the other people who inspired “You’re So Vain” are? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends and other Carly Simon fans!