Carly Simon (born Carly Elisabeth Simon on 25 June 1945 - New York City, US… Read Full Bio ↴Carly Simon (born Carly Elisabeth Simon on 25 June 1945 - New York City, USA) is an American singer, musician, songwriter, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work. Throughout her career, she has amassed a total of 13 Top 40 Hits including "You're So Vain", "Nobody Does It Better" and "Coming Around Again".

Simon's career began with a short-lived music group with her sister Lucy as The Simon Sisters. They had a minor hit in 1964 called "Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod", and made three albums together before Lucy left to get married and start a family. Later, Carly Simon collaborated with eclectic New York rockers Elephant's Memory for about six months. She also appeared in the 1971 Milos Forman movie Taking Off, playing an auditioning singer, and sang "Long Term Physical Effects", which was included in Taking Off, the 1971 soundtrack for the movie.

Simon's major breakthrough was 1972's No Secrets. The album spawned several successful singles, including Simon's biggest hit, "You're So Vain". Simon continued to produce successful albums through the 1970s and early 1980s, moving into film scores after she was dropped by her record label in 1985. She performed the main title song for the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me - "Nobody Does It Better" which was a worldwide hit in 1977.

Misfit
Carly Simon Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There are plenty of late nights
If you want to stay up for them
You'll just want to find yourself a friend
And tie a couple on in a night spot
Draw pictures of your soul, win the jackpot
For tears in your beer
It's hip to be miserable when you're young and intellectual
In a bit you'll admit you're a misfit

Come on home with me
We'll turn on the TV
About 10 o'clock we'll turn off the light
Not every man was born to stay up late at night

There are plenty of boats to catch
If you notice all the sails in the wind
But you better look hard my friend
In case you catch a ride on the wrong one
In the distance is the one you belong on
Oh the water is wide
It's hip to be miserable when you're young and intellectual
In a bit you'll admit you're a misfit

Come on home with me
We'll sit under a tree
And if you get the itch
I'll supply the scratch
Not every man was born with a boat to catch

It's hip to be miserable when you are young and intellectual

In a bit you'll admit you're a misfit
A misfit

Overall Meaning

In Carly Simon's song "Misfit", the lyrics talk about the societal pressure to be hip and miserable when you're young and intellectual. The song suggests that people tend to think that staying up late is cool and that it's important to be pessimistic, but eventually, as you get older, you'll realize that you're a misfit. The song seems to be about embracing who you are and being content with yourself rather than trying to conform to what society deems "cool".

The lyrics go on to suggest that instead of staying up late and trying to be someone you're not, come home and watch TV. The song acknowledges that not everyone was meant to stay up late and that it's alright to have different preferences. The lyrics also reference taking the right boat in life, not just any boat, so that you end up where you're meant to be.

Overall, the song seems to suggest that it's okay to be different and to embrace who you truly are rather than trying to fit into what society considers to be "cool" or "hip". The song encourages listeners to be comfortable in their own skin and shows that it's important to take the time to figure out what you truly want in life rather than following the crowd.

Line by Line Meaning

There are plenty of late nights
There are many opportunities for staying up late

If you want to stay up for them
If you choose to take advantage of them

You'll just want to find yourself a friend
It is better to have company

And tie a couple on in a night spot
Drink at a bar

Draw pictures of your soul, win the jackpot
Express yourself and find success

For tears in your beer
To feel sorry for yourself

It's hip to be miserable when you're young and intellectual
Feeling sad or unhappy is trendy in certain social circles

In a bit you'll admit you're a misfit
Eventually you will realize that you don't fit in

Come on home with me
Let's go to my place

We'll turn on the TV
We will watch television

About 10 o'clock we'll turn off the light
We will go to bed at a decent hour