You’re So…Wait, Who Are You?
A few years ago, I enjoyed the reveal that Deep Throat was Mark Felt, an FBI agent who was actually eventually tasked with finding Deep Throat (*snark*). It was one of the great mysterys of the 20th century and one I was happy to have solved.
This one…not so much. I could have died happily not knowing who “You’re So Vain” was about, especially since it turns out it was, um…who the hell is this guy?
Warren Beatty, you’re off the hook. The song wasn’t about you.
Singer Carly Simon, after 38 years, has apparently ended the great mystery of who she was singing about in her 1972 smash “You’re So Vain.” It was … medial mogul David Geffen, according to The Sun of London.
The 64-year-old Simon has reworked the song, and included a backwards portion that whispers Geffen’s name, according the paper. Geffen was the head of Simon’s Elektra label at the time, And she wasn’t mad about a failed romantic relationship, as Geffen is openly gay. Instead, the paper speculates she was resentful of Geffen’s promotion of rival Joni Mitchell.
Over the years, there has been speculation that Simon wrote “You’re So Vain” about ex-boyfriends Warren Beatty, Mick Jagger, Cat Stevens or Kris Krisofferson. Simon has long claimed in public that “You’re So Vain” was merely a composite of people she knew.
Fail.
