"You're So Vain" Carly Simon (1972)

You walked into the party like you were walking onto a yacht
Your hat strategically dipped below one eye
Your scarf it was apricot
You had one eye in the mirror as you watched yourself gavotte
And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner
They'd be your partner, and...

You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you
You're so vain, I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you? don't you?...

            "You're So Vain" written and performed by Carly Simon in 1972, shows the cruel way people treat each other because of their vanity.  "You had one eye in the mirror as you watched yourself gavotte" demonstrates how this man portrayed in the song is more concerned about the way he looks then the actual people around him. There is also another example of narcissism by the singer. She is narcissistic because she believes she is able to tell this man he is egotistical. She is bold enough to stand against him and call him out on his flaws. This takes the idea of narcissism seen in previous art works a step further.  People now feel it is their right to be able to call someone else narcissistic.

            This song was written after the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This act was passed by the United States Congress to help stop segregation and discrimination of African Americans. From this African Americans were able to speak out and not get punished by the government (Duiker 791). Throughout the 1960s, American women started a feminist movement. In 1963, Betty Friedan published The Feminine Mystique; Friedan demonstrated the issues middle-class American women had faced while expressing her views (Duiker 801). Similar to Carly Simon's song, people of this time were not afraid to call other out on their flaws, openly express their opinions and fight for their rights. People were concerned about their own wellbeing and their beliefs. The theme of the narcissism and vanity is shown through Carly Simon's song, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and The Feminine Mystique.

Duiker, William J. and Jackson J. Spielvogel. World History ed. 5^th. United States: Thomas Wadsworth, 2007. 791-801.