Carly Simon finally reveals "Who's So Vain".

[sir clinksalot]

Simon names who?s ?So Vain? ? sort of - Music- msnbc.com

Spoiler: It's not Warren Beatty

Ending nearly 40 years of speculation, Carly Simon revealed in an interview that record company executive David Geffen was the inspiration for her 1972 hit single “You're So Vain.”

Simon told Uncut magazine that a clue to the “Vain” man's identity can be heard on an acoustic version of the song that is featured on her upcoming album, “Never Been Gone.”

“You know what, I'm just goin to tell you this. The answer is on the new version of ‘You're So Vain,’ on my new record. ... There's a little whisper and it's the answer to the puzzle.”

According the Britain's The Sun newspaper, Simon whispers Geffen's name backwards on the track.

Geffen was the chief of Elektra Records, Simon's label at the time the song was originally released. According the WENN news service, the song, which was thought to be about a failed relationship, is now thought to hint at Simon's resentment after Geffen allegedly put more efforting into promoting singer Joni Mitchell.

I don't know about you, but that takes a LOT of the meaning out of the song for me.

[SnorkletsMom]

Geffen? Meh. I wish it could have at least been someone interesting.

[pratt55]

If I was Dick Ebersol, I would be ticked after paying all that money and now she just tells who it is.

Dick Ebersol, president of NBC Sports and a friend of Simon, was the highest bidder for a Martha's Vineyard Possible Dreams charity auction offering in which the prize was the revelation of the person that "You're So Vain" was about. After making the winning bid of $50,000, Ebersol was given a private performance of the song at Simon's home and Simon whispered the subject into his ear. A condition of the prize was that Ebersol would not reveal the person to anyone. Ebersol said that 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."

[sir clinksalot]

Dick Ebersol deserves it after what he's done to NBC's Olympic coverage.

[SnorkletsMom]

Dick Ebersol deserves it after what he's done to NBC's Olympic coverage.

I hate the Olympics, so I wouldn't know...what has he done?

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

I always took it to be about ME when I heard this song.

[SnorkletsMom]

I always took it to be about ME when I heard this song.

[Joshnyah]

I always thought it was written about James Taylor!

[knittingknerd]

I still think the song is about Nixon. Her revelation doesn't change the fact that when the song is played on the radio I sing as loud as I can. The song could be about her cat for all I care, it's still a good song.

[rlp]

I always thought it was written about James Taylor!

That was the popular guess when the song came out!

[DisneyIPresume]

I love it!

It's amazing how some of the greatest songs are sometimes influenced by the most unexpected things. Like how "The Fool on the Hill" is about the Yogi that the Beatles used to hang out with, but apparently their relationship soured so that is the song they came up with.

I could see why Carly Simon would want to keep quiet about this for so long. I'm sure she didn't want to burn any bridges in her career. But it also attests that it is such a great song that everyone assumed that it was about a lover when in fact it apparently is not. Just pure genious.

[Alice's Dinah]

I always thought it was written about James Taylor!

Everytime when I was a little girl and my Dad would play the song I would ask him who it was about he always said that James Taylor told him it was about him. FYI, my Dad was a roadie for him, Pink Floyd, Clearwater, and several offer big 1970's bands. Now whether or not he was being honest with me when I was a child in saying he had met James whilst on tour with him, I'll never know...

[steamboatpete]

David Geffen is still somewhat speculative. She hasn't come out and said it was Geffen, or confirmed the Sun's guess yet.

[knittingknerd]

I love it!

It's amazing how some of the greatest songs are sometimes influenced by the most unexpected things. Like how "The Fool on the Hill" is about the Yogi that the Beatles used to hang out with, but apparently their relationship soured so that is the song they came up with.

"Love Song" by Sarah Bareilles is about the record company. They told her to write a love song for the album. Think that's an awesome song/reasoning.

"Hotel California" is about the mental institute that's in Camarillo, which is now Cal-State Channel Islands (and it was going to be Cal-State Camarillo but then it would be CSUC. ).

Those are my favorite song stories.

[sediment]

"Hotel California" is about the mental institute that's in Camarillo,...

Wiki says differently:

The abstract nature of the lyrics has led listeners to their own fanciful and unrealistic interpretations over the years, including some claims, spread by word of mouth and internet, of Satanic aspects. Other bizarre rumors suggested that the "Hotel California" was referring to a hotel run by cannibals, the Camarillo State Mental Hospital, or a metaphor for cancer. These claims have been consistently refuted by the band.[8]

So does snopes.
http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/hotel.asp