THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

639-Carly Simon-You’re So Vain.

1973-Number 3 single.

Best Bit-At 2.56. One of Pop Music’s best kept fun secrets, is ironically taken from her 1972 Album ‘No Secrets.’

Carly Elisabeth Simon was born on June 25th, 1943, in New York City, United States, alongside her music career she is the author of two memoirs, and five children’s books. Prior to finding worldwide success as a solo artist, and signing with ‘Electra Records’ in 1970, Carly Simon, and her two older sisters, Joanna, (1936-2022) and Lucy, (1940-2022) were signed to ‘Kapp Records’ in 1964, releasing three studio Albums as ‘The Simon Sisters,’ between 1964-1969.
The solo discography of Carly Simon includes 23 studio Albums released between 1971-2009, and 41 singles released between 1971-2023, there are also 10 official compilation Albums, four soundtrack Albums, and two live Albums available. In America on the Billboard Hot 100, 13 of her singles have reached the top 40, with ‘You’re So Vain’ making the Number 1 spot, while in the UK, she has charted within the top 40 on eight occasions, with ‘You’re So Vain’ peaking the highest at Number 3. Carly Simon was married to the American singer/songwriter James Taylor between 1972-1983, and in 1974 they had a hit duet with a cover version of the ‘Inez and Charlie Foxx’ song ‘Mockingbird,’ (Billboard Number 5 & UK Number 34) and a further hit with ‘Devoted to You’ (1978-Billboard Number 36.) Carly Simon also sang ‘Nobody Does It Better,’ which was the critically acclaimed theme to the 1977 James Bond film ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ (Billboard Number 2 & UK Number 7.)

‘You’re So Vain’ was the first of two singles released from Carly Simon’s third solo studio Album ‘No Secrets,’ from November 1972, the song was written by Carly Simon, with the production being by Richard Perry, who would also later produce ‘Nobody Does It Better.’ ‘You’re So Vain’ can boast some of the era’s top session musicians playing on the track, including Klaus Voormann, (see also best songs 927-737-592-131-39 and 20) (bass) and Jim Gordon, (1945-2023) (see also best songs 846-795 and 417) (drums) the orchestration was by Paul Buckmaster, (1946-2017) and Mick Jagger (see also best songs 933-662-452-160 and 77) can be heard providing backing vocals.

Carly Simon has had a lot of fun, and publicity teasing the media, and the general public about whom ‘You’re So Vain’ is really about. Even now, 50 plus years later, it is said that only a handful of people know the truth. In order to keep the mystery going, Carly Simon from time to time drops hints. She has stated that the song refers to three men only, one of whom is the American actor Warren Beatty. Carly Simon has said that the songs second verse is about him. She has also stated that the song isn’t actually just about one person, but an amalgamation of three men she has known. Unaccredited vocals on the track are provided by Mick Jagger, of whom Carly Simon has stated, is definitely not part of the subject of the song. In 2001 Carly Simon used the basis of ‘You’re So Vain’ in collaboration with Janet Jackson, (see also best songs 679) and Missy Elliott (see also best songs 691) recording a new ‘version’ called ‘Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You’) for Janet Jackson’s Album ‘All For You,’ which when issued as a single, reached Number 28 on Billboard, and Number 13 in the UK. The phrase ‘Son of a Gun,’ is what Carly Simon whispers at the very start of ‘You’re So Vain.’

Carly Simon has explained how ‘You’re So Vain’ first came about,’There was originally a song that had the melody of what is now ‘You’re So Vain,’ called ‘Bless You Ben.’ It went ‘Bless you Ben, you came in, where nobody else left off, there I was, by myself, hiding up in my loft.’ It never went anywhere, I could never fall in love with it. And then I was at a party and somebody walked in and my friend said to me ‘Doesn’t he look like he’s just walked on to a yacht?’ So, I thought to myself – hmmm, let me write that in my notebook. And then one day, when I was playing ‘Bless You Ben’ on the piano, I substituted ‘You walked into the party, like you were walking onto a yacht’ and the exchange was equal. And it felt natural, and it felt good, and then I could get into that man, I knew who I was talking about.’

‘Well I hear you went up to Saratoga, and your horse naturally won. Then you flew your Learjet up to Nova Scotia, to see the total eclipse of the sun. 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.’