There are two really hard hitting lines. "You're where you should be all the time, and when you're not you're with some underworld spy or the wife of a close friend, wife of a close friend" is one but my favorite was "But you gave away the things you loved, and one of them was me". All the way around this song is songwriting genius.
Actually, back when this was out, we heard Warren Beatty was who the song was about. Also, Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones is singing the background vocal
Mick Jagger contributed uncredited backing vocals for the song. When asked how this collaboration occurred, Simon said: He happened to call at the studio. … I said "We're doing some backup vocals on a song of mine, why don't you come down and sing with us?
Carly revealed to a fan, who won an auction, and the prize was to hear the identity of the song's main character in secret. I came out later that the song was about three different people, Warren Beatty, Mick Jagger, and David Geffen, but take that with a grain of salt. So even if they knew the song was about them, it wasn't totally about them.
According to Wikipedia: Simon said the line "clouds in my coffee" came "from an airplane flight that I took with Billy Mernit, who was my friend and piano player at the time. As I got my coffee, there were clouds outside the window of the airplane and you could see the reflection in the cup of coffee. Billy said to me, 'Look at the clouds in your coffee'.
Carly Simon and Carole King are the two most iconic women of the 1970's. On top of their own songs, both have written many songs for other artists that were big hits. I remember you couldn't have the radio on without hearing either of them. Carly and James Taylor were a great duet which made their split up and divorce even more difficult. There have been so many theories of whom it's about that no one really knows anymore, including Carly.
This song put her on the top of the charts, she’s a great singer songwriter, she’s part of the 70’s gang, James Taylor, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens, Linda Ronstadt, etc. Carly even won an Oscar for one of her songs, this song was about Warren Beaty; I don’t think she dated that much, she was married to James Taylor when she recorded this song
Mick Jagger provides backing vocals during the chorus of the song, and his distinctive voice can be heard harmonizing with Carly Simon. The song was released in 1972 and became one of Carly Simon's signature songs. The identity of the person Carly Simon is singing about in the song has been a subject of much speculation and intrigue over the years.
Great breakdown reaction. You can see why Carly Simon was inducted into not only the Songwriters Hall of Fame, but last year finally inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. Going Back to 1971, Carly won the Grammy for Best New Artist for her 2nd album, Anticipation. Anticipation was the first single from the album, which was competing on the charts with her first album's single, That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be, which had been on the charts for 8mos. First time in recording history a female artist had two albums competing against each other in the same year. Carly dedicated that album to "Steven" aka Cat Stevens. Anxiously waiting his arrival for their first date, Carly challenged herself to write a song before he got there. It's probably the 2nd most identifiable Simon tune.
There's a great duet of Carly Simon and James Taylor singing Taylor's 1971 "You Can Close Your Eyes" live with just an acoustic guitar in their home on a TV news program in 1977 that you can find on UA-cam and elsewhere.
I had some dreams they were clouds in my coffee, to me it's always just been a poetic line that means I really thought I had something going with this relationship and now you're just stirring cream in your coffee and your dream turns out to be nothing but clouds in your coffee. I actually really really really really really really like Mick Jagger's backing vocal on this. For anyone that missed it, it's the lower harmony and it's in your left ear during the choruses.
The song was a HUGE hit on the radio and no one ever found out who it was written about, except one person at a charity auction. “That’s The Way I Always Thought It Should Be” is a masterpiece.
The song or at least part of it, was written about Warren Beatty. It is sad that she and James Taylor don't speak since their divorce, because they share children. Mick Jagger sings some of the backup vocals on this recording (uncredited) and for years there was speculation that the song was about him. I love Carly's voice, she is so powerful and has such a beautiful voice.
Yes, original version first. That live performance maybe later but studio version is usually the priority, except for those occasional examples where a live version is so spectacular you can skip over the studio (not applicable to the ocean performance, IMO).@@evanhughes1510
Listen to it again and marvel at the fact that you didn't notice Mick Jagger singing background vocals. Once you hear him, you can't NOT hear him. I have always loved this song. Nice channel!
In this same genre, Joan Baez wrote a song called Diamonds and Rust It’s got a lyric. Well, I’ll be damned here comes your ghost again that’s not unusual it’s just at the moon is full.
No, there were several men who thought this song was about them! That’s Jagger singing background vocals. A little piece of trivia. There was an auction for charity many years ago where the winner paid a lot of money to learn who this song was really about…Carly Simon has changed her answer with the public over the years. We don’t really know!
Dude, ever wake up, have Dreams, but know the drudgery of the struggle of surviving another day, as you stir your coffee, staring into the cup....I give you clouds in your coffee....and in the words of Jackson Browne, in the Song ..the Pretender, ....we get up, and do it again. Amen.
Carly Simon and James Taylor were married for years and produced a son Ben Taylor! You should react to Mockingbirds live a duet with James Taylor and Carly Simon
Always a favorite. Love her James Bond theme “Nobody Does it Better,” as it was the first Bond movie I saw… and it’s a brilliant song ❤ Good reaction and yes, you get the irony of the title 😊
Another great song and excellent commentary. I love how you exercise yourself in the music and lyrics and think about the soul of the songs. Keep up the fantastic work; it's appreciated by all your Subscribers.
Although we thought it was about James Taylor at the time, it was disclosed at some point later that it was actually about Warren Beatty - he also had the rep of being with many women, whether he was in a relationship or not.
Bass played by Klaus Voorman long time friend of The Beatles from before they became a record act & world famous. He also had a long resume. I first heard him on record and performing as a member of Manfred Mann, playing Bob Dylan’s “The Mighty Quinn” and original“My Name’s Jack” . He played on Beatles solo recordings John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo. Recorded with Badfinger, Harry Nilsson, Leon Russell, Donovan, Peter Frampton and many other classics. The tragic mad tragic drummer, Jim Gordon recorded and performed with Steve Winwood in Traffic. With Eric Clapton famously on Layla, he wrote the end piano section. He recorded with Leon Russell and Joe Cocker. He recently died in a prison mental hospital for the tragic murder of his mother.
It was a real mystery song when it was in the charts in 72. Generated a lot of speculation. I saw a documentary about Carly a couple of years ago and she sang an unrecorded verse that was cut due to song length issues. It didn't give any more information and was a weaker verse, it would have been a good idea to have had an extended album version with it though. Warren Beatty, brother of Shirley McLaine, was identified early on as a candidate. He was known to be a serial sh*gger.
Hope that you recognized that her back up singer was Mick Jagger, who was not credited on the album but whose voice is so distinctive that it was obvious to all at the time.
I wish she had a deeper catalog! She was a great singer/artist/lyricist. She came from a very wealthy and privileged family, and much like Linda Eastman, she was willing to risk it all for ART! Peace (You’ll find out who it’s about)
One of my favorite hit songs of the 1970’s by the fabulous Carly Simon. You Oughta Know that there’s a tall tale being spread that this song is actually about Dave Coulier…because Carly babysat for him in her early twenties before she became a successful singer-songwriter. It’s said that she found him to be a spoiled brat who thought of no one but himself. The person allegedly responsible for this rumor is, naturally, a man who goes by the initials W.B.
The version-of-events I know is that actually each verse is about a different man - one is Warren Beatty, another (the last?) is Mick Jagger, and the third remains a matter for debate. She famously "auctioned off" the revelation of the true meaning of the song a couple of decades ago.
It is rumored that the song is about Warren Beatty, but she wouldn't confirm it out right; she came close to saying no, but nodding her head yes -- nothing definite though. It's a great song that her, Carole King and James Taylor, Jim Croce, John Denver were all in the same category.
As a smoking hot woman singer Carly dated everybody from Jackson Brown to Warren Beaty with Mick Jagger in between. This is probably about all of them, but most people believe it is mainly about Warren Beaty.
Carly had many relationships when she was very young so it could have been about any number of famous or not ex’s!At one point later in her life in an interview she said that it was bits and pieces of different men sh had gone out wit. Much later in another interview I think she said that it was either Warren Beatty or Kris Kristofferson
In August 2003, Simon agreed to reveal the name of the song's subject to the highest bidder of the Martha's Vineyard Possible Dreams charity auction. With the top bid of $50,000, Dick Ebersol, president of NBC Sports and a friend of Simon, won the right to know the name of the subject of "You're So Vain". A condition of the prize was that Ebersol not reveal the name. Ebersol said Simon allowed him to divulge a clue about the person's name: "Carly told me that I could offer up to the entire world a clue as to what she'll tell me when we have this night in about two weeks. And the clue is: The letter 'E' is in the person's name." Over the years Simon has divulged "letter clues". In 2004, Simon told Regis Philbin, "If I tell it, it's going to come out in dribs and drabs. And I've given out two letters already, an 'A' and an 'E'. But I'm going to add one to it. I'm going to add an 'R' in honor of you."
James Taylor and Carly were married and it failed from addictions, She has never said who the song is aimed at, but most speculate it is about actor Warren Beatty...
There are two really hard hitting lines. "You're where you should be all the time, and when you're not you're with some underworld spy or the wife of a close friend, wife of a close friend" is one but my favorite was "But you gave away the things you loved, and one of them was me". All the way around this song is songwriting genius.
Actually, back when this was out, we heard Warren Beatty was who the song was about. Also, Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones is singing the background vocal
She revealed that it was not Warren Beatty.
@@gracedv she had told People Magazine that the 2nd verse was about Warren Beatty, but then denied it!!!
She reportedly sold the answer to the highest bidder.
I guess a lot of people wanted it to b Warren Beatty as he was one of the hottest actors in Hollywood and was said to be quite a ladies' man.
Thanks for the Mick Jagger remark, never knew that but so obvious when you relisten
She and James Taylor did a song called “Mockingbird” that you should check out.
That is a fun video to watch👍
Mick Jagger contributed uncredited backing vocals for the song. When asked how this collaboration occurred, Simon said:
He happened to call at the studio. … I said "We're doing some backup vocals on a song of mine, why don't you come down and sing with us?
Carly revealed to a fan, who won an auction, and the prize was to hear the identity of the song's main character in secret. I came out later that the song was about three different people, Warren Beatty, Mick Jagger, and David Geffen, but take that with a grain of salt. So even if they knew the song was about them, it wasn't totally about them.
According to Wikipedia:
Simon said the line "clouds in my coffee" came "from an airplane flight that I took with Billy Mernit, who was my friend and piano player at the time. As I got my coffee, there were clouds outside the window of the airplane and you could see the reflection in the cup of coffee. Billy said to me, 'Look at the clouds in your coffee'.
Carly Simon and Carole King are the two most iconic women of the 1970's. On top of their own songs, both have written many songs for other artists that were big hits. I remember you couldn't have the radio on without hearing either of them. Carly and James Taylor were a great duet which made their split up and divorce even more difficult. There have been so many theories of whom it's about that no one really knows anymore, including Carly.
I would suggest Joni Mitchell was more iconic than either of them
@@jameswiglesworth5004 Joni is a little bit before them, but definitely iconic.
Linda Ronstadt called & said “Hold My Beer”.
@@alpetrocelli4465 Good point, just as iconic and a vastly superior voice and repertoire
@@alpetrocelli4465 Yes, also iconic. Love her bunches.
According to Carly Simon, this song is about Warren Beatty and 2 other men whom she has never named.
Each verse is about a different man, which also means the song is not about any party in particular.
@@fordp69 she confirmed in an interview on TV that while she would not say who the other two men were, the second verse was about Warren Beatty,
Carly Simon "That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" (Studio Version A MUST for a first time listen)
A song like no other.
This song has ridiculously good production
She always said this was a compilation of several guys. Hope you can see the live version of her playing piano outside.
This song put her on the top of the charts, she’s a great singer songwriter, she’s part of the 70’s gang, James Taylor, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens, Linda Ronstadt, etc. Carly even won an Oscar for one of her songs, this song was about Warren Beaty; I don’t think she dated that much, she was married to James Taylor when she recorded this song
A huge hit for Mrs. Simon-Taylor, peaking at #1 on the Hot 100 for the week of January 6, 1973 and holding that spot for three weeks in a row.
Mick Jagger provides backing vocals during the chorus of the song, and his distinctive voice can be heard harmonizing with Carly Simon. The song was released in 1972 and became one of Carly Simon's signature songs. The identity of the person Carly Simon is singing about in the song has been a subject of much speculation and intrigue over the years.
Great breakdown reaction. You can see why Carly Simon was inducted into not only the Songwriters Hall of Fame, but last year finally inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. Going Back to 1971, Carly won the Grammy for Best New Artist for her 2nd album, Anticipation. Anticipation was the first single from the album, which was competing on the charts with her first album's single, That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be, which had been on the charts for 8mos. First time in recording history a female artist had two albums competing against each other in the same year. Carly dedicated that album to "Steven" aka Cat Stevens. Anxiously waiting his arrival for their first date, Carly challenged herself to write a song before he got there. It's probably the 2nd most identifiable Simon tune.
A freaking travesty it took "them" so long to induct her into RRHF!
There's a great duet of Carly Simon and James Taylor singing Taylor's 1971 "You Can Close Your Eyes" live with just an acoustic guitar in their home on a TV news program in 1977 that you can find on UA-cam and elsewhere.
That tune was a love song for Joni Mitchell before he met Carly. I wonder if she knew that when they sang that duet together?
Mick Jagger sings harmony, starting in the second chorus!
Carly is awesome!! So many many great songs. And that Voice!
The extremely talented Klaus Voormann -- who designed the _Revolver_ album cover -- plays bass on this track (with that classic intro).
If you didn't post this, I would have. Klaus is such a solid bass man.
Klaus, friend of The Beatles, since 1960, time in Hamburg.
Played with Mafred Mann, John Lennon, George Harrison, etc.
And, visual Artist.
the songs from end of 72 into 73, I heard a long time ago that it wasn't about James Taylor but Warren Beatty
I had some dreams they were clouds in my coffee, to me it's always just been a poetic line that means I really thought I had something going with this relationship and now you're just stirring cream in your coffee and your dream turns out to be nothing but clouds in your coffee.
I actually really really really really really really like Mick Jagger's backing vocal on this. For anyone that missed it, it's the lower harmony and it's in your left ear during the choruses.
Mick Jagger singing background vocals. Nice.
Huge song back in the day.❤
A great artist and a fantastic song. 🖖❤
I'm so honored that she wrote this song about me.
Finally! At last the truth comes out! (But isn’t it a little arrogant of you to assume that? 🤣)
@@terri2494 I may be vain, but I'm certainly not arrogant. 😂
Lol!
The song was a HUGE hit on the radio and no one ever found out who it was written about, except one person at a charity auction. “That’s The Way I Always Thought It Should Be” is a masterpiece.
One of my idols growing up. Incredible musician and writer
Thank you! I have all her music! She is an extremely talented song writer and musician. Keep it up! Love your reactions!✌️
As others mentioned she said it’s about a mix of 3 men she dated, not Taylor . Great music ,strong clear voice
A live performance of That's the way I heard it should be...she is a beautiful piano player
one of my Carly favorites
It was also said it was about Mick Jagger, even though he's singing on itm
The song or at least part of it, was written about Warren Beatty. It is sad that she and James Taylor don't speak since their divorce, because they share children. Mick Jagger sings some of the backup vocals on this recording (uncredited) and for years there was speculation that the song was about him. I love Carly's voice, she is so powerful and has such a beautiful voice.
Need to watch the live performance of this song , outside near the ocean.
Yes, original version first. That live performance maybe later but studio version is usually the priority, except for those occasional examples where a live version is so spectacular you can skip over the studio (not applicable to the ocean performance, IMO).@@evanhughes1510
@@evanhughes1510Yes!!
Listen to it again and marvel at the fact that you didn't notice Mick Jagger singing background vocals. Once you hear him, you can't NOT hear him. I have always loved this song. Nice channel!
If you listen all the way to the very end on the vinyl record, you can just barely hear her say, 'baby this song is about you'.
dude your comments about the song after you played it --- spot on! spot on !!
THANK YOU for not reacting to the live video. This is so much better........ Absolutely grand tune and reaction. Thanks man!
This is the ultimate burn song😉 I love Carly Simon❤
P.S. I heard it was about David Geffin(SP)... record producer 🤷
The kicker is, it's really about THREE guys, and each verse depicts that one. She's never said who they are but yeah, we're sure they know.
In this same genre, Joan Baez wrote a song called Diamonds and Rust
It’s got a lyric. Well, I’ll be damned here comes your ghost again that’s not unusual it’s just at the moon is full.
Mick Jagger harmonizing in the background... amazing.
She has suggested it's about more than one person. And that would make the chorus make sense. They each think it's all about them.
No, there were several men who thought this song was about them! That’s Jagger singing background vocals. A little piece of trivia. There was an auction for charity many years ago where the winner paid a lot of money to learn who this song was really about…Carly Simon has changed her answer with the public over the years. We don’t really know!
Ultimate dis track.
Music was best from when the Beatles started (1964) until disco.
Mick Jagger & Carly ❤️
Dude, ever wake up, have Dreams, but know the drudgery of the struggle of surviving another day, as you stir your coffee, staring into the cup....I give you clouds in your coffee....and in the words of Jackson Browne, in the Song ..the Pretender, ....we get up, and do it again. Amen.
I remember when this was on the radio all of the time!
Clouds in my coffee----she is lost in her hazy daydreams, probably with her coffee. Those pensive moments when we think about our lives.
Carly Simon and James Taylor were married for years and produced a son Ben Taylor! You should react to Mockingbirds live a duet with James Taylor and Carly Simon
Always a favorite. Love her James Bond theme “Nobody Does it Better,” as it was the first Bond movie I saw… and it’s a brilliant song ❤
Good reaction and yes, you get the irony of the title 😊
Such a classic! And this album cover! Even as a little kid I lookef at this album cover and thought she was sexy. I love the entire album. ❤️✌️
Another great song and excellent commentary. I love how you exercise yourself in the music and lyrics and think about the soul of the songs. Keep
up the fantastic work; it's appreciated by all your Subscribers.
Carly Simon wrote "Anticipation" before a date with Cat Stevens. Great song but always think of ketchup when I hear it.
As most of us do.
Although we thought it was about James Taylor at the time, it was disclosed at some point later that it was actually about Warren Beatty - he also had the rep of being with many women, whether he was in a relationship or not.
The song is allegedly about Warren Beatty.
I was in 6th grade in 73. Jefferson Junior High, heard this on AM radio next thing you know I was singing it in the hallways.
They were married from 1972 to 1983. She has said the song is definitely not about him.
Great song and if you listen carefully you can hear Mick Jagger providing back up vocals.
Next to the word vain in the dictionary, is a photo of Warren Beatty.
Young men loved this cover photo at the time.
And older men still do.👀👅❤️
Bass played by Klaus Voorman long time friend of The Beatles from before they became a record act & world famous. He also had a long resume. I first heard him on record and performing as a member of Manfred Mann, playing Bob Dylan’s “The Mighty Quinn” and original“My Name’s Jack” . He played on Beatles solo recordings John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo. Recorded with Badfinger, Harry Nilsson, Leon Russell, Donovan, Peter Frampton and many other classics.
The tragic mad tragic drummer, Jim Gordon recorded and performed with Steve Winwood in Traffic. With Eric Clapton famously on Layla, he wrote the end piano section. He recorded with Leon Russell and Joe Cocker. He recently died in a prison mental hospital for the tragic murder of his mother.
And the Klaus bass intro is why she says "Oh my gord"🎸
Give a listen to Mockingbird by Carly and James Taylor ❤❤
Mick Jagger sings along with her
"Heaven hath no rage like love to hatred turned, nor Hell a fury like a woman scorned" W. Congreve, 'The Mourning Bride',1697.
This one's up there but my personal fav is her song "Jesse". There's such a nice twist.
Singing in the background is Mick Jagger (The Rolling Stones) uncredited.
Impeccable selection of tunes
Her best song was "The Way I always Thought it would Be". Career difficult; couldn't perform because of stage fright.
i could never see james in an apricot scarf.
The Klaus Vorman bass intro is why she says "Oh my gord"🎸
Mick Jagger sings background vocals starting in the second chorus
Mick on backing vocals.
It was a real mystery song when it was in the charts in 72. Generated a lot of speculation.
I saw a documentary about Carly a couple of years ago and she sang an unrecorded verse that was cut due to song length issues. It didn't give any more information and was a weaker verse, it would have been a good idea to have had an extended album version with it though.
Warren Beatty, brother of Shirley McLaine, was identified early on as a candidate. He was known to be a serial sh*gger.
Hope that you recognized that her back up singer was Mick Jagger, who was not credited on the album but whose voice is so distinctive that it was obvious to all at the time.
I wish she had a deeper catalog! She was a great singer/artist/lyricist. She came from a very wealthy and privileged family, and much like Linda Eastman, she was willing to risk it all for ART!
Peace
(You’ll find out who it’s about)
One of my favorite hit songs of the 1970’s by the fabulous Carly Simon. You Oughta Know that there’s a tall tale being spread that this song is actually about Dave Coulier…because Carly babysat for him in her early twenties before she became a successful singer-songwriter. It’s said that she found him to be a spoiled brat who thought of no one but himself.
The person allegedly responsible for this rumor is, naturally, a man who goes by the initials W.B.
I heard at the time it was released it was about Hugh Hefner.
Joni Mitchell also referred to lover James Taylor as 'my vain darling', in reference to his receding hairline.
Epic song🤘❤️
Well, Mick did sing the song titled "Angie", sooo🤔
The version-of-events I know is that actually each verse is about a different man - one is Warren Beatty, another (the last?) is Mick Jagger, and the third remains a matter for debate. She famously "auctioned off" the revelation of the true meaning of the song a couple of decades ago.
You could hear Mick Jager singing background in the song.
It is rumored that the song is about Warren Beatty, but she wouldn't confirm it out right; she came close to saying no, but nodding her head yes -- nothing definite though. It's a great song that her, Carole King and James Taylor, Jim Croce, John Denver were all in the same category.
If you think about it, the song isn't about 'him.' The song is about her.
She's an ex of James Taylor, but I'm pretty sure the song is about Warren Beatty.
Carly waited more than a decade to reveal to a journalist, that it’s warren Beatty she wrote this song about
Great reaction I don't think she was talking about James Taylor
thats mick jaggar on background vocals!
Among the theories about who this song is about are Warren Beatty, Mick Jagger and Cat Stevens. It's probably not about James Taylor.
As a smoking hot woman singer Carly dated everybody from Jackson Brown to Warren Beaty with Mick Jagger in between. This is probably about all of them, but most people believe it is mainly about Warren Beaty.
i had always heard it was either about Warren Beaty or Mick Jagger.
Carly had many relationships when she was very young so it could have been about any number of famous or not ex’s!At one point later in her life in an interview she said that it was bits and pieces of different men sh had gone out wit. Much
later in another interview I think she said that it was either Warren Beatty or Kris Kristofferson
Mick Jagger is very likely one of the two unknown. He had a private lear jet. He rented at times.
The last might be James Taylor. Their marriage imploded over infidelity.
In August 2003, Simon agreed to reveal the name of the song's subject to the highest bidder of the Martha's Vineyard Possible Dreams charity auction. With the top bid of $50,000, Dick Ebersol, president of NBC Sports and a friend of Simon, won the right to know the name of the subject of "You're So Vain". A condition of the prize was that Ebersol not reveal the name. Ebersol said Simon allowed him to divulge a clue about the person's name: "Carly told me that I could offer up to the entire world a clue as to what she'll tell me when we have this night in about two weeks. And the clue is: The letter 'E' is in the person's name."
Over the years Simon has divulged "letter clues". In 2004, Simon told Regis Philbin, "If I tell it, it's going to come out in dribs and drabs. And I've given out two letters already, an 'A' and an 'E'. But I'm going to add one to it. I'm going to add an 'R' in honor of you."
Rumor has it the song is about Warren Beatty, whom she had briefly dated before marrying James.
she was my generation's taylor swift singing about the ex
This song has it all. Including cowbell and Mick Jagger. ✌
And yes...we could use more
🐮 🛎 . ✌
James Taylor and Carly were married and it failed from addictions, She has never said who the song is aimed at, but most speculate it is about actor Warren Beatty...