I Was the Only One from My Family Who Wasn’t Invited to My Cousin’s Wedding—When I Learned Why, I Lost It

Everyone in my family was invited to my cousin’s wedding — except me. I showed up anyway, thinking it was a mistake. But when my cousin pulled me aside and told me the real reason she didn’t want me there… I swear, I’ve never felt anything hit me like that.

I stared at my reflection in the full-length mirror, smoothing down the lilac fabric of my new dress. The subtle sparkles caught the light as I turned, a small smile playing on my lips. For once, I felt pretty and wanted.

Portrait of a gorgeous woman in a lilac dress | Source: Midjourney

Portrait of a gorgeous woman in a lilac dress | Source: Midjourney

“Kylie, are you ready?” Mom called from downstairs. “We need to leave in 10 minutes!”

“Almost!” I shouted back, giving my curled hair one final spritz of hairspray.

This was Debra’s big day. She was my cousin, my childhood best friend, and practically my sister growing up. I couldn’t wait to see her walk down the aisle.

My phone buzzed with a text from my sister, Emma.

“Already at the venue. Where are you guys?”

I typed back quickly: “On our way. Save me a seat!”

Little did I know, there wouldn’t be a seat for me at all.

A delighted woman looking at her phone | Source: Midjourney

A delighted woman looking at her phone | Source: Midjourney

“You look beautiful, sweetie,” Dad said as I descended the stairs. “That dress is worth every penny of your babysitting money.”

I twirled, feeling the fabric swish around my knees. “Thanks, Dad. I wanted to look nice for Debra’s photos.”

Mom smiled, ushering us toward the door. “Let’s go celebrate her wedding!”

“I can’t believe Debra is actually getting married,” I said, sliding into the backseat of our sedan. “Seems like just yesterday we were playing dress-up with her mom’s clothes.”

“You girls grew up too fast,” Mom sighed, adjusting her necklace in the rearview mirror. “Time flies.”

Dad turned the key in the ignition. “Let’s make some new memories today.”

If only he knew what kind of memories we’d be making.

A man driving a car | Source: Pexels

A man driving a car | Source: Pexels

The venue was stunning. A renovated barn with fairy lights strung across wooden beams, and white roses and baby’s breath adorned every surface. Guests in formal wear milled about, champagne flutes in hand.

I spotted my brother, Ryan, near the entrance and waved.

“Hey, sis,” he said, ruffling my hair. “You look nice.”

I swatted his hand away. “Don’t mess up my curls! I spent forever on them.”

“Have you seen Debra yet?” Mom asked.

Ryan shook his head. “Emma’s with the bridal party. I think they’re in some room in the back.”

I fidgeted with excitement. “I’m going to say hi before the ceremony.”

An excited woman in a wedding venue | Source: Midjourney

An excited woman in a wedding venue | Source: Midjourney

I weaved through clusters of guests, smiling politely at distant relatives and strangers alike. The hallway to the bridal suite was quiet, away from the growing crowd. I smoothed my dress one more time before knocking.

A bridesmaid I didn’t recognize opened the door, her perfectly contoured face registering confusion. “Yes?”

“I’m Kylie, Debra’s cousin. Is she in there?”

The girl turned. “Deb, your cousin is here.”

There was a pause, then Debra appeared in the doorway. She looked breathtaking in her white gown, her hair swept up elegantly. But when her eyes met mine, her smile faded.

“Kylie? What are you doing here?”

The question hit me like a slap. “What do you mean? I came for your wedding.”

A shocked bride | Source: Midjourney

A shocked bride | Source: Midjourney

Her eyes darted past me, then she stepped into the hallway, pulling the door closed behind her.

“Why did you come?” she asked in a low voice.

I blinked, confused. “What do you mean? The invitation was for the family. I thought I was —”

“I didn’t invite you.”

The words hung between us, sharp and cold.

“What… why?”

Before she could answer, footsteps approached, and a handsome man in a tuxedo appeared. It was Brian, the groom. His face lit up when he saw me.

“Hey! So glad you came! Debra told me you couldn’t make it. Nice surprise!”

I looked at him, then at Debra, whose face had gone pale.

A man smiling | Source: Midjourney

A man smiling | Source: Midjourney

“Brian, can you give us a second?” she asked nervously.

He shrugged, leaned in to kiss her cheek, and walked away whistling.

Debra turned back to me, her arms crossed. “Like you don’t know?”

“Know what? Debra, what are you talking about?”

She sighed heavily, glancing around to make sure no one was listening.

“When Brian’s family first saw pictures of you… the Christmas party ones? They kept asking who you were. Said you were so young and beautiful, asked if you were a model. When I said you were also studying engineering and acing it, they were even more impressed.”

I stared at her, uncomprehending. This couldn’t be happening.

A stunned woman | Source: Midjourney

A stunned woman | Source: Midjourney

“And then his mother said, ‘Are you sure she’s the cousin and not the bride? I smiled through it, but I was dying inside. I wanted them to focus on ME. On MY engagement. Not YOU.”

“You didn’t invite me because… because you thought I’d look better than you?”

“You wouldn’t understand. You’ve always been the pretty and smart one. Everything comes easy to you.”

“Easy? You think my life is easy? I work my butt off for my grades. And pretty? I’ve spent most of high school feeling invisible!”

A distressed woman looking at someone with disbelief | Source: Midjourney

A distressed woman looking at someone with disbelief | Source: Midjourney

“Well, you’re not invisible to Brian’s family,” she snapped. “I didn’t want you to come and… steal the spotlight, okay? I didn’t want you to outshine me on my own wedding day.”

The unfairness of it all crashed over me. All this time I thought we were growing apart because she was busy with college, Brian, and her adult life. But it was jealousy… over things I couldn’t even control.

“So that’s why you’ve been so distant? Because you’re jealous? I thought we were family.”

“We are. But you wouldn’t understand.”

“No, I don’t. I don’t understand how you could exclude only me from your wedding. How you could let me get dressed up, excited to celebrate you, only to tell me I’m not wanted because I might what? Be too pretty? Too smart? What did you tell everyone else about why I wasn’t invited?”

An emotionally overwhelmed woman | Source: Midjourney

An emotionally overwhelmed woman | Source: Midjourney

“I said you had a conflict,” she mumbled. “A school thing.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “That’s messed up, Debra.”

A tear slipped down my cheek. I wiped it away, careful not to smudge my mascara. “If you feel better without me here, I’ll leave. I didn’t mean to make your day harder. But I never thought being me would make you feel so small. That breaks my heart more than anything.”

Debra’s eyes welled up, and before I could step back, she pulled me into a hug.

“I’m sorry. I just… I let my insecurity get the best of me. I’ve been so stressed about this wedding and fitting in with Brian’s family. They’re all so perfect and polished… and I feel like I’m not good enough.”

A guilty bride | Source: Midjourney

A guilty bride | Source: Midjourney

I stood stiffly in her embrace, unsure how to respond. Part of me wanted to forgive her immediately because this was Debra, who had braided my hair and taught me how to dance. But another part felt deeply wounded.

“You hurt me. I thought I did something wrong. I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out why you’ve been avoiding me all these years. You were still chatty with my siblings like always… but with me, it was like you flipped a switch.”

“I know. I’m sorry. Please stay. Please.”

“Are you sure? What about Brian’s family?”

A sad woman | Source: Midjourney

A sad woman | Source: Midjourney

“Screw what they think,” she said, a flash of the old Debra returning. “You’re my family. I want you here. I’ve been so stupid. Please forgive me… please.”

A bridesmaid poked her head out. “Deb, it’s almost time.”

Debra nodded, then turned back to me. “Will you stay?”

I looked at her, surrounded by luxury, about to marry the man she loved, and still somehow insecure.

“I’ll stay. Not because you asked me to, but because I choose to. For us.”

“Thank you. I need to finish getting ready, but… we’ll talk more later?”

“Go. Be a bride. I’ll be cheering for you.”

She smiled, a real smile this time, before disappearing back into the bridal suite.

A relieved and emotional bride | Source: Midjourney

A relieved and emotional bride | Source: Midjourney

I leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths. What a mess. But at least now I knew the truth.

***

The ceremony was beautiful. I sat with my parents, watching as Debra and Brian exchanged vows beneath an arch of white roses. When they were pronounced husband and wife, I cheered as loudly as anyone.

At the reception, I kept to myself, nursing a glass of sparkling cider near the edge of the dance floor. My brother found me there.

“Why the long face?” Ryan asked, bumping my shoulder with his. “Wedding food not up to your standards?”

I forced a smile. “Just tired.”

“Liar. What’s going on?”

A suspicious man | Source: Midjourney

A suspicious man | Source: Midjourney

I sighed, knowing he wouldn’t let it go. “Did you know Debra didn’t actually invite me?”

Ryan’s eyebrows shot up. “What? Of course she did.”

“No, she didn’t. She only invited you guys. I was supposed to be excluded.”

“But why would she —”

“Because I’m too pretty, apparently,” I said sarcastically. “Brian’s family saw pictures of me and made some comments, and Debra got jealous.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

A shattered woman running her hand through her hair | Source: Midjourney

A shattered woman running her hand through her hair | Source: Midjourney

“Yeah, well.” I shrugged, trying to seem unbothered. “We talked it out. Sort of.”

“Are you okay?”

I looked across the room to where Debra was laughing with her husband. “I will be. It just… hurts.”

“Want me to go spill some wine on her dress?” Ryan offered, only half-joking.

That made me laugh genuinely. “No. But thanks for the offer.”

“That’s what big brothers are for.” He squeezed my shoulder. “Want to dance? I promise to step on your toes only minimally.”

“Maybe later,” I said. “I think I need some air.”

An anxious woman lost in deep thought | Source: Midjourney

An anxious woman lost in deep thought | Source: Midjourney

I slipped outside, the cool evening air a relief after the crowded reception hall. I was about to find a quiet spot to sit when a voice stopped me.

“You must be Kylie.”

I turned to see an elegant older woman in a designer dress, her silver hair styled impeccably.

“Yes, I am,” I replied cautiously.

She smiled. “I’m Eleanor, Brian’s mother. I’ve heard so much about you.”

I bet you have, I thought.

A smiling older woman | Source: Midjourney

A smiling older woman | Source: Midjourney

“Your cousin is lovely,” she continued. “Brian adores her. We’re so pleased to welcome her to our family.”

“Debra’s amazing,” I agreed, meaning it despite everything. “She and Brian seem very happy together.”

Eleanor nodded, studying me with interest. “You know, when I first saw your picture, I told Debra you could be a model.”

And there it was. I swallowed hard. “That’s very kind, but I’m focusing on software engineering. I’m starting college in the fall.”

“Engineering! How impressive. Beauty and brains. Your parents must be very proud.”

“I hope so,” I said, uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation.

A software engineer at work | Source: Unsplash

A software engineer at work | Source: Unsplash

“I must say,” Eleanor continued, “you’ve handled yourself with such grace today. Not many young women would be so mature.”

I stared at her, confused. “What do you mean?”

She lowered her voice. “I know my son’s wife didn’t originally include you in the festivities. I overheard them arguing about it weeks ago.” She touched my arm. “You have such grace, dear. I admire that.”

So she knew. They all knew. Somehow, that made it both better and worse.

“Thank you,” I managed. “Debra and I… we’ve been close our whole lives. I want her to be happy.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re here, dear. It wouldn’t be a proper family celebration without you.”

A delighted older lady | Source: Midjourney

A delighted older lady | Source: Midjourney

I stood frozen as she walked away, processing her words. This woman, who had unintentionally caused the rift between Debra and me, had just given me more validation than my own cousin.

As I moved to the dance floor and joined by my siblings and parents, I realized something important: we all have our insecurities and moments of weakness. Even people who seem to have it all together. The real test isn’t whether we mess up… it’s what we do afterward.

It wasn’t about outshining anyone or being outshone. It was about standing tall without stepping on anyone else. About being secure enough in your own light that you don’t fear someone else’s brightness.

And Debra? She learned that the people who love you the most will only ever want to see you shine… even if it’s not their turn in the spotlight.

An emotional woman smiling | Source: Midjourney

An emotional woman smiling | Source: Midjourney

Carly Simon finally says who “You’re So Vain” is written about, confirms what we knew all along

With two successful albums in the span of only nine months, Simon soon found herself solidified as a famous and immensely popular singer/songwriter. In 1971, she received a Grammy Award for Best New Artist of the Year, and additionally one nomination in the “Best Pop Female Vocalist” category.

Carly Simon – “You’re So Vain”

In November of 1972, Carly Simon released her third album, and it was intended to be her big commercial breakthrough. No Secrets spent five weeks at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart and quickly achieved gold status.

It was a great album that spread all over the world, spending weeks and weeks on the top of the charts in countries like Norway, Australia and Canada. But it was one song in particular – the third on the album – that would change her life forever.

You’re So Vain was the song that most people reference when talking of Carly Simon. It was a smash-hit right away, and throughout the years, it’s grown even bigger and bigger.

The song is currently ranked at No. 92 on Billboard‘s Greatest Songs of All-Time list. In 2014, it was voted as number as no 216 when Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) asked the question of the best songs of the century. That same year, it was crowned as the ultimate song of the 1970’s by the UK Official Charts Company.

Carly Simon No Secrets

The album was recorded at the famous Trident Studios in London, England, where bands like The Beatles recorded The White Album and David Bowie made Space Oddity.

You’re So Vain – recording

You’re So Vain also held plenty of secrets when it was released, and for many years it was the subject of one of rock ‘n’ roll’s biggest mysteries. But we’ll get to that soon.

Firstly, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger is uncredited on the song, even though he sings on the chorus.

At the time of the recording, several other famous artists were at the Trident Studios, and the likes of Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney, legendary record producer George Martin, and Harry Nilsson watched her record. Actually, McCartney himself pitched in to guest star with background vocals.

And then there was Mick Jagger. Carly Simon wrote in her memoir that he actually invited himself to the recording. Jagger had pursued her in London and called Trident Studios once he understood she was there.

“It was shortly after midnight. Mick and I, we were close together – the same height, same coloring, same lips,” Simon writes.

“I felt as if I was trying to stay within a pink gravity that was starting to loosen its silky grip on me. I was thrilled by the proximity, remembering all the times I had spent imitating him in front of my closet mirror.”

Carly SImon
Wikipedia

As mentioned, You’re So Vain was a rock ‘n’ roll mystery. It’s always fun to know the background story of a song, wether its about a certain event, a person, or if that one line is a reference for something special.

You’re So Vain – who is it about?

In Carly Simon’s case, no one knew who You’re So Vain was about.

Some guessed – and had conspiracy theories – that the song was about Mick Jagger. Sure, there was a pretty clear connection between the two, especially since he actually sang on the record.

But no, it turns out the rumours were wrong. The truth is that You’re So Vain – at least the second verse – is about one-time Hollywood lothario Warren Beatty, whom she dated briefly in the early 1970’s.

“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 had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee.

Clouds in my coffee”.

In her memoir, Carly revealed that the song was also about two other people, but she won’t reveal who they were.

“I don’t think so,” she told People. “At least until they know it’s about them.”

“Probably, if we were sitting over at dinner and I said: ‘remember that time you walked into the party and…’ I don’t know if I’ll do it. I never thought I would admit that it was more than one person.”

Carly Simon
Shutterstock

Simon dated Warren Beatty for a short while in the ’70s, and described him as a “glorious specimen” who put all other men “to shame, if looks and charm were what you were after.”

Carly Simon – James Taylor

So what about Carly Simon’s love life besides Warren? Well, she’s been married once, to singer/songwriter James Taylor.

They had met briefly as children, and then again in her dressing room in 1971. She described the latter meeting in her book. Taylor was there together with his then-girlfriend Joni Mitchell.

“He was barefoot, long-legged, long-footed – and is knees were bent,” she wrote in her memoir.

”He wore dark red, loose, wide-wale corduroys and a long-sleeved Henley with one button open, his right hand clutching a self-rule cigarette. His hair, simultaneously shiny and disheveled, fell evenly on both sides of his head, and he wore a scruffy, understated mustache, the kind so fashionable back in the yearly 1970s. He seemed both kempt and unkempt. Even sprawled out on the floor, everything about him communicated that he was, in fact, the center of something – the core of an apple, the center of a note.”

James Taylor
Wikipedia

Carly Simon and James Taylor started dating later the same year and tied the knot in November of 1972. 11 years later, the couple divorced, but it wasn’t just because they didn’t have the same love for each other anymore.

Carly Simon – children

Simon explained that it mostly had to do with drugs. They had two children, now grown up and working in the music business. Daughter Sally Taylor is 46 years old and Ben Taylor’s 43.

Her memoir Boys in the Trees pretty much ends with her marriage to James Taylor. Her son hasn’t read the book. But her daughter has.

“I think he would feel more conflicted than Sally did,” Simon told ABC in 2016. “I had told her almost everything, but when she read it all together, she was just so amazed. She said, ‘I’m so proud of you for being able to tell it like it is for you.’”

Carly Simon
Shutterstock

Carly Simon was later engaged to musician Russ Kunkel in 1985. She married writer James Hart in December 1987, but the couple divorced in 2007.

Carly Simon, now 75 years of age, continued making music for many years to come. And, as a by-product, continued to win several awards for her trophy cabinet.

Her 1977 worldwide hit Nobody Does It Better was the theme song of the Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me. It’s considered by many to be one of the greatest Bond anthems of all time.

Hall of Fame entry

In 1988, she released the song Let The River Run, first featured in the 1988 movie Working Girl. With the song, she became the first singer ever to win three major awards for a single track: an Academy Award, a Grammy and a Golden Globe.

Six years later, in 1994, Carly was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Carly Simon lived a happy life during the 1960s and 1970s. She sure is a legendary singer with a legacy that will live on forever.

Thank you for all the wonderful music, Carly, and we hope to hear more in the future.

Please, share this story with friends and family!

When Carly Simon wrote the song You’re So Vain, her career changed forever, and yet the song remains one of rock ‘n’ roll’s biggest mysteries. Who is the person Simon is singing about?

Well, Carly herself has revealed who the classic song is about.

The 1970’s sure was a time for great music. During the 1960’s, bands like The Beatles had conquered the world, and now it was time for the likes of Bob Dylan and others to take over.

Carly Simon – singer/songwriter

One of those who did just that was Carly Simon. The wonderful singer/songwriter became one of the most popular artists when her career began to grow in the early 1970’s.

We’ve all heard You’re so Vain and various other classics from the New Yorker. But what about her life? And who was You’re so Vain actually about? This is the story of the wonderful Carly Simon.

Carly Simon was born on June 25, 1945, in New York City, the youngest daughter of an upper-class New York family. Her father Richard Simon was the co-founder of the Simon & Schuster publishing company.

Carly Simon – childhood

Now, Carly’s childhood wasn’t exactly perfect. As a third daughter, she often felt inadequate. Did her parents really want her?

“After two daughters he’d been counting on a son, a male successor to be named Carl. When I was born, he and Mommy simply added a y to the word, like an accusing chromosome: Carly,” she said.

When she was just 7 or 8 years old, Carly experienced a string of disturbing sexual encounters with a teenage boy.

“I didn’t realize that I was being used,” she said in an interview with USA Today. “I thought of myself as being in love with him. I’m sure a lot of girls go through the same thing.”

As a young girl, Carly got to see what the music industry was all about. But it would be some time before she would become the sensation she was.

Simon split her time between her family’s townhouse in Greenwich Village, New York and a wonderful estate in Stamford, Connecticut. The estate in Stamford saw the young girl surrounded by celebrities like Albert Einstein and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Carly Simon
Youtube/Carly Simon Music

The Simon family were also good friends of legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson, who soon would take Carly under his wing. Jackie Robinson and his family lived in the Stamford house while their own home was under construction.

Befriended Jackie Robinson

She got to sit in the dugout at the old Ebbets Field in Brooklyn – home of the then-Brooklyn Dodgers. Soon, she became the unofficial mascot of the team.

“Jackie even taught me how to bat lefty, though it never took”, Simon wrote in her memoir Boys in the Trees (2015).

“He always had the cutest look around the side of his mouth, as if he were thinking about what he was about to say before he said it.”

However, the family would go through a tragedy. Simon’s father was strong-armed out of his own company, and died in 1960, just before his daughter’s 16th birthday.

For her part, Carly showed an early interest in music. She started singing together with brother Joey – who later became a successful writer, writing the music for the Broadway show The Secret Garden – but later, it was her and her sister who would go on to pursue a career in the business.

As Carly wrote on her website, she and sister Lucy taught themselves three chords on the guitar and hitch-hiked up to Provincetown, MA in the summer of 1964.

Carly Simon
Youtube/Carly Simon

The Simon Sisters – as they called themselves – sang at a local bar called The Moors, with a repertoar consisting of folk music, as well as some of their own songs.

Touring with sister Lucy

Carly Simon and Lucy were eventually signed to Kapp Records and played a couple of clubs in Greenwich Village, opening for early comedians Woody Allen and Dick Cavett, among others, and even played in the UK.
In her memoir, Simon recalls the boat trip across the Atlantic heading home.

They were on the same boat as Sean Connery, and Carly and her sister ended up spending the trip with the actor. At that point, of course, no one could realize or even imagine that Carly would write a Bond theme song 12 years later.

The sister duo released three albums in the 1960s before Lucy left to get married.

Carly Simon
Youtube/TayMon

Carly Simon was on her own, but still determined to forge a career in the music industry. However, her career had a slow start. She started working as a summer-camp counselor and as a secretary on a TV show

Carly’s career

In February of 1971, Simon released her debut album Carly Simon. The song That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be – an anti-marriage-song – became her first hit, reaching No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 list.

In October, later the same year, Simon released her second album, Anticipation. By now, things had really started to blow up. Her album went gold in two years and contained the smash hit Anticipation, which peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard pop singles chart and also at No. 3 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in the United States.

According to herself, Simon wrote the song in just 15 minutes while waiting for Cat Stevens at her place, whom she was dating at the time and had made dinner for. When he arrived, the song was ready, but the date only lasted a short while.

“He gave me whispers and drawings of Blake poems,” Carly Simon said. “He told me about his childhood, his mixed Greek and Swedish parents, and we made a connection that has lasted.”

With two successful albums in the span of only nine months, Simon soon found herself solidified as a famous and immensely popular singer/songwriter. In 1971, she received a Grammy Award for Best New Artist of the Year, and additionally one nomination in the “Best Pop Female Vocalist” category.

Carly Simon – “You’re So Vain”

In November of 1972, Carly Simon released her third album, and it was intended to be her big commercial breakthrough. No Secrets spent five weeks at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart and quickly achieved gold status.

It was a great album that spread all over the world, spending weeks and weeks on the top of the charts in countries like Norway, Australia and Canada. But it was one song in particular – the third on the album – that would change her life forever.

You’re So Vain was the song that most people reference when talking of Carly Simon. It was a smash-hit right away, and throughout the years, it’s grown even bigger and bigger.

The song is currently ranked at No. 92 on Billboard‘s Greatest Songs of All-Time list. In 2014, it was voted as number as no 216 when Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) asked the question of the best songs of the century. That same year, it was crowned as the ultimate song of the 1970’s by the UK Official Charts Company.

Carly Simon No Secrets

The album was recorded at the famous Trident Studios in London, England, where bands like The Beatles recorded The White Album and David Bowie made Space Oddity.

You’re So Vain – recording

You’re So Vain also held plenty of secrets when it was released, and for many years it was the subject of one of rock ‘n’ roll’s biggest mysteries. But we’ll get to that soon.

Firstly, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger is uncredited on the song, even though he sings on the chorus.

At the time of the recording, several other famous artists were at the Trident Studios, and the likes of Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney, legendary record producer George Martin, and Harry Nilsson watched her record. Actually, McCartney himself pitched in to guest star with background vocals.

And then there was Mick Jagger. Carly Simon wrote in her memoir that he actually invited himself to the recording. Jagger had pursued her in London and called Trident Studios once he understood she was there.

“It was shortly after midnight. Mick and I, we were close together – the same height, same coloring, same lips,” Simon writes.

“I felt as if I was trying to stay within a pink gravity that was starting to loosen its silky grip on me. I was thrilled by the proximity, remembering all the times I had spent imitating him in front of my closet mirror.”

Carly SImon
Wikipedia

As mentioned, You’re So Vain was a rock ‘n’ roll mystery. It’s always fun to know the background story of a song, wether its about a certain event, a person, or if that one line is a reference for something special.

You’re So Vain – who is it about?

In Carly Simon’s case, no one knew who You’re So Vain was about.

Some guessed – and had conspiracy theories – that the song was about Mick Jagger. Sure, there was a pretty clear connection between the two, especially since he actually sang on the record.

But no, it turns out the rumours were wrong. The truth is that You’re So Vain – at least the second verse – is about one-time Hollywood lothario Warren Beatty, whom she dated briefly in the early 1970’s.

“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 had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee.

Clouds in my coffee”.

In her memoir, Carly revealed that the song was also about two other people, but she won’t reveal who they were.

“I don’t think so,” she told People. “At least until they know it’s about them.”

“Probably, if we were sitting over at dinner and I said: ‘remember that time you walked into the party and…’ I don’t know if I’ll do it. I never thought I would admit that it was more than one person.”

Carly Simon
Shutterstock

Simon dated Warren Beatty for a short while in the ’70s, and described him as a “glorious specimen” who put all other men “to shame, if looks and charm were what you were after.”

Carly Simon – James Taylor

So what about Carly Simon’s love life besides Warren? Well, she’s been married once, to singer/songwriter James Taylor.

They had met briefly as children, and then again in her dressing room in 1971. She described the latter meeting in her book. Taylor was there together with his then-girlfriend Joni Mitchell.

“He was barefoot, long-legged, long-footed – and is knees were bent,” she wrote in her memoir.

”He wore dark red, loose, wide-wale corduroys and a long-sleeved Henley with one button open, his right hand clutching a self-rule cigarette. His hair, simultaneously shiny and disheveled, fell evenly on both sides of his head, and he wore a scruffy, understated mustache, the kind so fashionable back in the yearly 1970s. He seemed both kempt and unkempt. Even sprawled out on the floor, everything about him communicated that he was, in fact, the center of something – the core of an apple, the center of a note.”

James Taylor
Wikipedia

Carly Simon and James Taylor started dating later the same year and tied the knot in November of 1972. 11 years later, the couple divorced, but it wasn’t just because they didn’t have the same love for each other anymore.

Carly Simon – children

Simon explained that it mostly had to do with drugs. They had two children, now grown up and working in the music business. Daughter Sally Taylor is 46 years old and Ben Taylor’s 43.

Her memoir Boys in the Trees pretty much ends with her marriage to James Taylor. Her son hasn’t read the book. But her daughter has.

“I think he would feel more conflicted than Sally did,” Simon told ABC in 2016. “I had told her almost everything, but when she read it all together, she was just so amazed. She said, ‘I’m so proud of you for being able to tell it like it is for you.’”

Carly Simon
Shutterstock

Carly Simon was later engaged to musician Russ Kunkel in 1985. She married writer James Hart in December 1987, but the couple divorced in 2007.

Carly Simon, now 75 years of age, continued making music for many years to come. And, as a by-product, continued to win several awards for her trophy cabinet.

Her 1977 worldwide hit Nobody Does It Better was the theme song of the Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me. It’s considered by many to be one of the greatest Bond anthems of all time.

Hall of Fame entry

In 1988, she released the song Let The River Run, first featured in the 1988 movie Working Girl. With the song, she became the first singer ever to win three major awards for a single track: an Academy Award, a Grammy and a Golden Globe.

Six years later, in 1994, Carly was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Carly Simon lived a happy life during the 1960s and 1970s. She sure is a legendary singer with a legacy that will live on forever.

Thank you for all the wonderful music, Carly, and we hope to hear more in the future.

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