You're so Vain by Carly Simon mystery man

[monkey222]

And having a glass-bottom boat to boot!

 

[Steely Dan]

William Donaldson, another pre-fame flame? Now we're talking. If he's not the guy, or Grossman or Armstrong, this is the right sort imo - and the idea that she didn't want to name him and end the big-name speculation because if she says it's a no-name, it becomes a huge letdown.

Out of curiosity, has anyone discovered who she lived with in France for a year, when she had nervous breakdowns?

As far as "living or dead," I'm still not persuaded H Stern really knows who it is. He has always been full of hot air. Nor do I think that CS gave any actual clue as to which, when she said she wouldn't reveal his name even if he died. When asked that question, she may have been thinking "Little do you know, he already passed, and obviously I didn't say anything." She was not asked IF he was living or dead.

Her article is dated June 1st.
His death was June 22nd.

She may have known he was on his deathbed. :dunno:

As for Stern he said Beatty, maybe Geffen and he couldn't remember the last. This guy has never been mentioned in anything I've read before so Stern may have not understood the name. :waitasec:

 

[sayd]

I haven't read through this whole thread (just saw it), but for some reason, I always thought it was about Neil Diamond. And I have no idea where that came from.

 

[wfgodot]

Whether or not he's "the one" (and he is), the Telegraph Donaldson obit, linked above (and also here, at top) is a must-read.

 

[Donjeta]

I don't want to know who it is about... It would spoil it because she sings, "I bet you think this song is about you"
It's got to be a secret

 

[Xara]

I love this thread.

 

[SteveS]

SD, your thinking on Donaldson is logical. A few feedback items, just more of my :twocents: :

1 Re H Stern's words on Geffen, to me that's just further evidence he has no clue. Everyone close to Carly - and Carly herself - reacted to that idea dismissively and treated it as absurd. The fact that HS took it seriously and said "Yeah, he's one of the guys" when it was thought to be fact and before it was debunked, tells me he never had any actual info.
2 On Donaldson, we know he was a Brit. That can fit with frivolously flying a plane to NS, but doesn't fit at all with Saratoga races. So, did he ever live for a time in NY, esp NYC area?
3 As an afterthought, where did the WD-CS relationship take place, and in what year(s)?
4 Re your note on WD and trying to fit in an "underworld spy," I don't think the allusion really has anything to do with a government spy (ala James Bond) at all. IMO it's a description of one extent of the widely diverse (and undiscriminate) orbit for the Vain Guy, that extends from the shady (underworld spy) to the immoral (wife of a close friend). Not sure whether the underworld spy reference would be of a sexual conquest or a close confidante - imo it could be either.

 

[Xara]

Pardon me if this has been mentioned; according to wiki the apricot scarf was worn by Nick Nolte.

 

[mhoward48]

I have always thought it was Warren Beatty.

 

[Steely Dan]

SD, your thinking on Donaldson is logical. A few feedback items, just more of my :twocents: :

1 Re H Stern's words on Geffen, to me that's just further evidence he has no clue. Everyone close to Carly - and Carly herself - reacted to that idea dismissively and treated it as absurd. The fact that HS took it seriously and said "Yeah, he's one of the guys" when it was thought to be fact and before it was debunked, tells me he never had any actual info.
2 On Donaldson, we know he was a Brit. That can fit with frivolously flying a plane to NS, but doesn't fit at all with Saratoga races. So, did he ever live for a time in NY, esp NYC area?
3 As an afterthought, where did the WD-CS relationship take place, and in what year(s)?
4 Re your note on WD and trying to fit in an "underworld spy," I don't think the allusion really has anything to do with a government spy (ala James Bond) at all. IMO it's a description of one extent of the widely diverse (and undiscriminate) orbit for the Vain Guy, that extends from the shady (underworld spy) to the immoral (wife of a close friend). Not sure whether the underworld spy reference would be of a sexual conquest or a close confidante - imo it could be either.

Well, she has said it has the characteristics of three guys, but she's referred to "He" so I think it's two minor players and one major player. Charles William Donaldson is #1 and then Warren Beatty and some other guy are two's. JMO

 

[Bernina]

Just going to throw it out there: When I lived in the Bay Area of California with my then musician husband (circa 1979-80) "David Crosby" of Crosby, Stills, Nash (and Young) was what I heard was the subject of "You're so Vain". This was from conversations with peeps like Santana, Petty, several of the Doobies, Money, Cruise, blah, blah, >"name dropping"<. Gah.

 

[leah]

Just going to throw it out there: When I lived in the Bay Area of California with my then musician husband (circa 1979-80) "David Crosby" of Crosby, Stills, Nash (and Young) was what I heard was the subject of "You're so Vain". This was from conversations with peeps like Santana, Petty, several of the Doobies, Money, Cruise, blah, blah, >"name dropping"<. Gah.

I just can't picture him LOL but who knows?

 

[Ausgirl]

Just going to throw it out there: When I lived in the Bay Area of California with my then musician husband (circa 1979-80) "David Crosby" of Crosby, Stills, Nash (and Young) was what I heard was the subject of "You're so Vain". This was from conversations with peeps like Santana, Petty, several of the Doobies, Money, Cruise, blah, blah, >"name dropping"<. Gah.

How exciting, to be mixing in those circles back then!

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

I have always thought it was Warren Beatty.

Lol.....I always though it was Kris Kristofferson!

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

Does anyone else find themselves humming this song throughout the day? I've caught myself several times lately lol!

 

[Steely Dan]

Does anyone else find themselves humming this song throughout the day? I've caught myself several times lately lol!

OMG, almost every day since I started this thread. The worst part is I sing it in the shower. I hope my downstairs neighbor can't hear me.

I was approached by the Bush administration to sing to the prisoners at Gitmo in order to get them to talk. However, after I sang two sentences for them they decided that that would be too tortuous for anyone.

 

[Janedoe66]

Interesting thread though I believe Carly is financially inspired to never reveal the identity. Once known, the talk will die down and there won't be as much interest.

 

[Ausgirl]

Here's another perspective.. I write poems based to one degree or another on my life experiences. Some of those are about relationships. Some of them bad ones.. For me, it's always more about expressing/illustrating/observing on the --feeling-- a person has induced in me, rather than describing the person themselves. Sometimes, the imagery might include aspects of more than one person, if the resulting emotional is the same. One aspect of one bad breakup becomes a personal symbol for ALL bad breakups. I guess what I'm saying is... the song could be entirely fictional, as far as most of the "clues" go, and still be about one person -- or several. And still in it's way be 100% true.

I think Carly's actually made this clear, in her descriptions of the song's creative process.

But yeah, she also drags it out. I'd likely do the same for any of my poems of they ever got this famous *hahaha*. Aside from better book sales, be damned if I'd give any of the guys those poems are about the satisfaction of saying "oh hey, that's me". Been there, done that, regretted it.

 

[Steely Dan]

Interesting thread though I believe Carly is financially inspired to never reveal the identity. Once known, the talk will die down and there won't be as much interest.

Well, she got fifty thousand dollars for charity by auctioning off the name to someone who would keep it a secret. So 50k to learn who it's about for charity is pretty powerful. I don't think she needs money. She's the daughter of the Simon in Simon and Schuster and she's made A LOT of money from her music career. I think the motivation is that it's really interesting to her to see people guess who it's about. If I'm right then people's guesses would be amusing because I've never heard Charles William Donaldson before tiredblondy posted this link http://dating.famousfix.com/tpx_440/carly-simon/dating-history and if this is the guy everybody has been waaaaay off for years. JMO

 

[Steely Dan]

This is what I'd do if I were Carly. IIRC, she's a BC survivor. She should pick a BC charity and put up a $1,000,000 goal on her website where people can donate any amount. If that goal is reached she'll disclose who the song is about on David Letterman's last show this year or during that week. She could perform "You're so Vain" and then in honor of Dave she could perform "Nobody Does it Better".