Who is the song 'You're So Vain' about?

Answer 1

Although the only one who really knows who "You're so Vain" is about is Carly Simon, singer and writer of the song, there is a lot of speculation about who it might be. Popular guesses include Mick Jagger (back up singer to the song), Cat Stevens, Warren Beatty, Kris Kristofferson and ex-husband, James Taylor.

Update

There is actually a second person who knows. Someone, and I don't remember his or her name, won a radio contest here on Cape Cod to have dinner with Carly Simon. Part of the prize was that she would tell this person, in total confidentiality, who the song was about. The person is sworn to absolute secrecy. This is not made up, it is fact.

- wjs1632 -

UPDATE

And a third person who knows - Howard Stern. Howard had Carly on his show in 2008 and during a break she told him who it was.

-Cleo862-

Update

There has been many updates. The letters A, E and R are in the name as clues given away by Simon herself and many other clues have lead to David Bowie. However, there is no 'R' in David Bowie of course. That is until you find out that David Bowie's real name is David Robert Jones.

Although the reference to Nova Scotia (Beatty's Mother from there), Saratoga racing and underworld spies would relate more to Warren Beatty.

-teaspoonofcement-

UPDATE

I've always thought the song was about Eric Clapton...and all of those letters are in his name, as well, so maybe I'm right. When you listen to the song, it says "you're with an underworld spy, or THE WIFE OF A CLOSE FRIEND...." that was my clue that hit me between the eyes. Eric Clapton wrote "Layla" for the wife of George Harrison, whom he took away from him. And I believe that Carly Simon dated Eric Clapton. So it's only a guess, but I believe that one of the reasons Carly won't give the answer out to the world is to protect Clapton, who's had a lot of sadness in his life, and who has turned his life around since that song was popular.

- Tiamoaz58 -

In 1972 who would have a Learjet, a yacht and go to a horse race/own a horse with the letters A, E & R, only one I can think of is Elvis Aaron Presley.
Carly Simon has never revealed publicly who is the subject but wikipedia says this:

In a 1989 interview Simon acknowledged that the song is a little bit about Warren Beatty but said the subject of the song is a composite of three men from her L.A. days. In a 2007 interview Beatty said, "Let's be honest. That song was about me." Simon has said that Beatty had called and thanked her for the song

Answer 2

Okay, I do not think the song is about just one person. Rather, it's a conglomeration of people. Carly was known to date widely prior to marrying James Taylor. In Shiela Weller's book, the author discusses Carly's romance with Nick Delbanco, an author and now a professor at the University of Michigan. In Janet Jackson's song, "Son of a Gun", Carly states clearly that "the apricot scarf was worn by Nick. Nothing in the words refer to Mick." I take this to mean that it is DEFINITELY not about Mick Jagger and that the first verse is about Nick Delbanco.

The second verse is about Warren Beatty. She was involved with him for a bit and he was friends with Jack Nicholson. Whenever either of these guys were "done" with a girl, they would pass her off to the other. "You had me several years ago when I was still quite naive. 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 don't know whether Warren passed Carly onto Jack, tried to, or if Carly knew this was their MO, but it fits that this was about him.

Still working on who the third verse is about.