Has the guy in the Carly Simon "vain"song ever been identified?

She has refused as recently as last month to reveal whom this was written about.

Tada

I heard it was about Mick Jagger.

Shirley MacLaine’s brother…

I heard it was Warren Beaty.

@shilolo No tell me it’s not true. It can’t be Hasselhoff please god no.Although he would fit the lyric.David… mmm.. the list is endless.

Every guy who thinks that song is about him, don’t you, don’t you…...

That’s the beauty of that song…kills thousands of narcissists with a single stone.

@stump I heard it was Warren Beaty.

Shirley MacLaine’s brother is Warren Beatty. Carly Simon initially said that it was about him, but later said it was a composite of several of the men in her life. She did identify the person but ensured that it would not be published. (She raffled the identity for a charity but the winnner was sworn to secrecy.)

It’s about my neighbor Steve.

I cant believe no body has answered James Taylor!! Saw it on VH1 :-)

I’m almost certain that she was singing to me. I mean, who else?

warren beaty

@rebbel- Unlikely as Mick sings a backing vocal.

@DarkScribe What a coincidence that Shirley MacLaine’s brother should have the same name as the actor Warren Beaty. But apparently they spell their names differently :)

@mammal Do you read anything anyone else has said, or do you just happily post in the dark?

When the song was popular I heard that it was Jagger, but later on I heard her deny that. @TILA_ABs_NoMore JamesTaylor? C’mon, you don’t mean Sweet Baby James! Say it isn’t so!

Us Magazine is guessing today that it is David Geffen, although it is my understanding that he is gay.

For one awful moment there I thought of David Gest.

I always thought it was James Taylor.

The David Geffen report is getting more coverage on the web as the day goes on.

Oh, when Geffen thought he was straight, or at least when he was dating women. I’ve read that he was dating Cher back then, too.

Not that I’d really remember any gossip on Hollywood shenanigans from those days. I was only 3.

@aprilsimnel Dating Cher is one of the warning signs that you might be gay.
Just like marrying Liza Minelli.

He’s so vain, I’ll bet he planted that story about him.

He’s so vaaaiiin! (so vaiiiin!) I’ll bet he planted that story about him, ‘bout him, ‘bout hiimmmm… self!

I had always heard it was about Warren Beatty. Fun fact: Mick Jagger sings back-up vocals on that song.

@dpworkin no, i read the thread and reaffirmed that is was Warren Beatty, don’t be narky.

If we can believe a newspaper – Simon has revealed that it is David Geffen, apparently she whispers his name backwards in a reworked version of the song which is being released next week on the album called Never Been Gone. In 1972 Geffen was head of Elektra record label and (it is thought) that she wrote the song about him because he was putting all his time and effort into promoting Joni Mitchell over her.

@octopussy- I heard that exact story today on NPR.