In what might just be the epitome of game recognizing game, Taylor Swift has officially spoken and named Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” the “best song that’s ever been written.” The pick makes sense because honestly, it would have been *highly* sus if Taylor’s pick for the best song of all time were anything but a breakup song, right?
The declaration came earlier this month during the ceremony honoring the 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, which include Carly. Taylor made a virtual appearance to honor a fellow breakup anthem writer, saying in a video message (per Billboard) that the 1971 classic is “the best song that’s ever been written” and “the best way anyone has addressed a breakup, it’s amazing.”
Taylor’s love for Carly Simon and “You’re So Vain” in particular is no secret. In July 2013, Carly made a surprise appearance onstage with Taylor during her Red Tour to sing the iconic song as a duet.
You can (and should) watch the whole thing above, but Taylor’s obvious adoration for Carly is best summed up by this peak fangirl moment, in which she exhibited zero—nay, make that negative—chill when she *literally* jumped for joy mid-performance:
Taylor wasn’t the only artist who honored Carly during the hall of fame induction ceremony. Olivia Rodrigo performed “You’re So Vain” live at the show, proving to the world how very Gen Z and honestly ahead of its time the song and its cutting lyrics really were:
And like Taylor and Olivia, Carly was also not afraid to pen devastating tracks about incredibly famous exes. In 2015, after years of guarding the identity of the song’s inspo, Carly revealed that the song is about actor Warren Beatty, whom she dated in the early ’70s. Well, technically, only part of the song is about him (although obviously, he probably thinks the whole damn thing is).
“I have confirmed that the second verse is Warren,” the singer told People in an interview about her memoir Boys in the Trees. “Warren thinks the whole thing is about him!”
