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In what may well be the epitome of game recognition, Taylor Swift has officially taken the stage and named Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” the “greatest song that was ever written.” The choice makes sense, because, honestly, it would have been *very* known if Taylor’s pick for Best Song of All Time was anything other than a breakup song, right?
The statement came earlier this month at the ceremony honoring the 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, including Carly. Taylor made a virtual appearance to honor another breakup anthem writer, saying in a video message (per Billboard) that the 1971 classic is “the best song that was ever written” and “the best way anyone has approached a breakup, it’s unbelievable”.
Taylor’s love of Carly Simon and “You’re So Vain” in particular is no secret. In July 2013, Carly made a surprise appearance on stage with Taylor during her Red Tour to sing the iconic duet song.
You can (and should) watch all of the above, but Taylor’s obvious adoration of Carly is best summed up by this peak fangirl moment, in which she showed zero – no, do that negative-cold when she *literally* jumped for joy, halfway through:
Taylor wasn’t the only artist to honor Carly Simon at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Olivia Rodrigo performed “You’re So Vain” live during the show, proving to the world how the song and its cutting lyrics were truly Gen Z and honestly ahead of its time:
And, like Taylor and Olivia, Carly wasn’t afraid to write devastating tunes about insanely famous exes either. In 2015, after years of protecting the identity of the song’s inspiration, Carly revealed that the song was about actor Warren Beatty, who she dated in the early 70s. Well, technically only part of the song is about him (though obviously he probably thinks the whole thing is).
“I’ve confirmed the second verse is Warren,” the singer said. People in an interview about his memoir Boys in the trees. “Warren thinks it’s all about him!”
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