Betting on the Wrong Horse: Is "You're So Vain" about David Geffen?

Today, a new wave of speculation broke out about the great mystery of which of her paramours Carly Simon immortalized in her song "You're So Vain." This coincides with Carly Simon inviting fans and filmmakers to create videos that use the song.

My wheels are turning.

It takes every ounce of self-control for me to zip my lips, but I think I know who the song was written about, and it isn't ANY of the usual suspects.

I've loved "You're So Vain," since I was little. It's one of my mother's favorite sing-along songs, and we sang it more times than I can remember. Back then, I had no idea about the mystery surrounding the subject of the song, but nevertheless, the character Carly created is extremely distinct. An apricot scarf, a "strategically dipped" hat.

Sure, that could be Cat Stevens, Mick Jagger or any of the other rock stars on the short list. But none among them are yachtsmen, though I'm sure they've had their fun on boats, and none can really properly be considered "vain," at least, as far as I see it, not by a poet of Carly's calibre who has a range of nuanced adjectives at her disposal. Most telling, perhaps, is that none are known for their Saratoga winning streaks.

But I know someone who fits the bill. Years ago, quite coincidentally, I learned from an affiliated third party that this person and Carly Simon had, in fact, had a relationship in their youth, "many years ago" when she was still "quite naive," as the song indicates. I searched on their names together on the internet and couldn't find anything that would indicate that their relationship was public knowledge. Further, her name does not appear in the celebrity-laden index of a book that he wrote about his own life (I own a signed copy, given to me by the author).

It isn't that this person isn't famous. He is, but he's just not a household-name celebrity. He's also talented, played a significant role in one of the most important celebrity events that ever took place in the United States, and on top of all that, he was more dashing in his youth than almost any other person on the list, right up there with Warren Beatty (who reportedly does think that the song is about him).