You're So Vain

Carly Simon

(Son of a gun)

He walked into the party
Like you were walking on to a yacht
Your hat strategically dipped below one eye
Your scarf, it was apricot
You had one eye in the mirror
As you watched yourself Gavotte
And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner
They'd be your partner, and

You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain (you're so vain)
I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you?
Don't you?

Oh, you had me several years ago
When I was still quite naive
When 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
I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee
Clouds in my coffee, and

You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain (you're so vain)
I'll 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

You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain (you're so vain)
I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you?
Don't you?

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, and

You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain (so vain)
I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you?
Don't you?
Don't you? Now

You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain


Lyrics submitted by shut

You're So Vain Lyrics as written by Carly E. Simon

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

You're So Vain song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

94 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +13
    General CommentAlright, I don't know WHO the song is about; but "clouds in my coffee" makes me think of the swirls that you get when you pour cream into coffee. They're fleeting but cool to watch. And in response to Sarou Booboo: I think that's the entire point. The song could be about anyone, but when this person hears it, they will immediately think that it is about them.. because they are vain. It's like when you put something in your Profile.. and everyone thinks that it was for them, like lyrics or a quote, but it wasn't for any of them.
    Princess1786on March 18, 2003   Link
  • +7
    General Commenti love the fact that no one knows who the song is about, it adds to its intrigue. its giving a message out and i'm sure a number of men are wondering whether it's about them. everyone knows a man who this song applies to. carly is getting her own back on a number of men and i think this song would make them feel stupid. it makes the men feel bad for wondering whether the song is about them.
    johnson1506on March 09, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General CommentI think its about all of them or none of them at all, and i think the part
    "you probably think this song about you" is saying all of you will think this song is about them, and its not, but they'll all think this because they're so vain. I love this song, its sooo good :)
    music*ismyboyfriendon March 31, 2005   Link
  • +2
    General Commentso i think it's a mix between Mick Jagger and Jack Nicholson... the reason i do not think that it is about Mick is because he sang background vocals in this song if you listen closely, or even recognize what his voice sounsd like...So I don't think she'd write this song and ask him to sing in it unless she knew he was completely fucking retarded.

    i think it's about Jack...i don't know they're history, but they had one. and i bet that they KNOW that this song is about him..why would she write stuff such as "Then you flew your lear jet 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..." if it had never happened? not for a good rhyme or song, but it has meaning. and when he heard it, i bet he knew it was him.

    i believe she has only told ONE person who this song is about...my mom told me about it, so did my dad, that some man, i forgot his name, paid her like millions for her to tell him. i think it was even on national tv, and she whispered it to him? or maybe that was a rumor, but he paid and she told him. and he knows. and so does she.

    and whoever this song is about is probably very vain, they think the song is about them because it is...and thats just her excuse for writing it.
    amyflavoredtrashon March 27, 2007   Link
  • +2
    My InterpretationI have always loved this song, and especially the line, "You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you." My interpretation is that this song is written for one person, and NOT that that person is necessarily vain, but that there is an irony here. In a sense, the singer is saying, "You think this song is about you," and the singer is trying to delude herself into thinking that the song is NOT about you, but it really is about you, so therein lies the irony. It's like a husband and a wife having a heated argument, and the wife says, "You think that I care what you think? Well, I don't!" But the emotion behind the comment proves that the person really does care and is trying to convince not just the other person but herself that she doesn't care. So it is a wonderful example of irony of speech, which is what I believe is at the heart of this song.
    solarponson March 20, 2015   Link
  • +1
    General CommentLots of men fit this song.
    stringofpearlson February 21, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General CommentI think TFFMO got it right. The song ultimately is about her and how she was used. The irony is that the vain person is only going to hear how it's about him because that's the essence of vanity-that everything revolves around "you." I still think that vain person's a single guy. If so, couldn't someone just figure out who owned a horse that raced at Saratoga or went to see an eclipse in Nova Scotia unless that's altered.
    FloydFanon January 13, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Commentit does not have to be mick jagger or warren beatty,it could be anybody(leaving out the parts about wealth,of course). the guys like the guy described in this song walk amongst us,unfortunately..
    greatpretenderon January 26, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General CommentI first got to know this song in that movie;
    how to loose a guy in 10 days

    just love the song,
    hate the movie

    the fact that you think it's about you, tells you're vain, it's brilliant!
    Fluwijnon December 21, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General CommentI could see it being about Mick Jagger. After all, he did try to sleep with Angie Bowie, his best friend's wife.

    "And when you're not you're with
    Some underworld spy or the wife of a close friend
    Wife of a close friend, and..."
    mcr77on May 06, 2007   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top