Warren Beatty is the man Carly Simon is alluding to in the second verse of her 1972 hit “You’re So Vain,” the singer told People Magazine.
“I have confirmed that the second verse is Warren,” Ms. Simon said, about her upcoming memoir “Boys in the Trees.:
The second verse portrayal is rather unfavorable — Ms. Simon, 27 when the song was a hit, addresses someone who “had me several years ago when I was still quite naive.” Mr. Beatty is eight years older than she is.
“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 / I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee,” the song continues.
At the time, Mr. Beatty was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars — “Bonnie and Clyde” was a hit in 1967 — and had a reputation as a ladies man.
The song has been enticing speculation for decades.
Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger was convinced it was about him, having been obsessed with Ms. Simon for years, also having a reputation himself, and being a contributor to the song (he sings backup and his voice becomes quite distinctively present near the end).
The first verse says to the man that he had a “strategically dipped” hat and that “your scarf it was apricot”; Mr. Jagger was known as a flamboyant dresser.
Other possible subjects speculated about include folk singer Cat Stevens, record mogul David Geffen, and musician David Bowie.
In 2003, Ms. Simon put the identity of the song’s subject up for a charity auction — on the condition that the winner also keep it secret. Family friend Dick Ebersol, NBC Sports president at the time, won that auction with a $50,000 bid.
Ms. Simon told People that other verses in the song refer to other men, whom she has thus far declined to name.
The third verse seems to refer to someone both incredibly wealthy and with old-money interests (he has a Learjet and breeds horses that run at Saratoga racetrack) — a type that doesn’t really fit the public image of either Mr. Beatty or Mr. Jagger.
She said Mr. Beatty is aware of his role as an inspiration for the song — at least in part.
“Warren thinks the whole thing is about him,” she said, ironically.
Ms. Simon has blown hot and cold over the song for decades, saying at various times that it was about men in general and that she would never reveal its subject.
Several people besides Mr. Ebersol have said she has told them who the song is about, including ex-husband James Taylor and current pop star Taylor Swift, who sang the song live with Ms. Simon in 2013.
The song was Ms. Simon’s biggest hit, spending three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., also topping the charts in Australia and Canada, and reaching the top 5 in Britain, Ireland and South Africa.
• Jay LeBlanc can be reached at jleblanc@washingtontimes.com.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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