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.
Private
Carly Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can you be private when the juice is sweet
And the secret is crimson
Can you be quiet when my hands are heat
And the riptide rises?
Can you be blind and a beggar on your knees?
And live on our desire alone
And still keep as still as the shadows?
When the cry is so wide on the inside
When the truth jumps quick to the heart
When the wind or the stars are violent
Can you be silent?
Here's a little something that the wizard said:
"You can kiss, but never tell
All the wisdom you need
And you'll be needing some
Can be heard in the mouth of a seashell"
[Chorus]
Just the wide grey sky
And the hunchback moon
Will keep our memories
Not a living soul will remember us
This is just for you and me
'Cause if you;re out with the boys one night
If you;re out with the boys and there's braggin'
If you break, speak and call me your lover,
I'll lie, I swear, I'll lie, and it will all be over
The chorus of Carly Simon's song "Private" poses the question of whether one can truly keep their secrets and desires private when they are so intense and consuming. The lyrics use sensory imagery to highlight the intensity of the singer's passion, from the juicy sweetness of the secret to the heat of their hands to the violent winds and stars. The wizard's advice to kiss but never tell emphasizes the importance of discretion in maintaining the private nature of their relationship.
The singer fears that their connection will be ruined if their lover brags about their intimacy to others. This fear is rooted in the fragility and uniqueness of their bond, as seen in the line "Not a living soul will remember us / This is just for you and me." By keeping their relationship private, they have created a special, secret world that only they can access. But if their lover reveals their secret, that world will be gone.
Overall, "Private" is a song about the tension between desire and discretion, and the importance of protecting the things that are most precious to us. The vivid imagery and intense emotions in the lyrics create a vivid portrait of a passionate but fragile love.
Line by Line Meaning
Can you be private when the juice is sweet
Can you keep our relationship a secret even when things are going well?
And the secret is crimson
Even when our relationship is passionate and intense, can you still keep it to yourself?
Can you be quiet when my hands are heat
Will you be able to resist sharing our intimate moments with others?
And the riptide rises?
Even when things get difficult, can you still maintain our privacy?
Can you be blind and a beggar on your knees?
Would you be willing to give up everything else for our secret relationship?
And live on our desire alone
Would our passion be enough for you to sustain a secret relationship?
Can you ride the tide in this insanity
Can you handle the intense and erratic nature of our relationship?
And still keep as still as the shadows?
Would you be able to remain as hidden and unnoticed as the shadows?
When the cry is so wide on the inside
When our emotions are so intense and we want to shout our love to the world,
When the truth jumps quick to the heart
And the truth of our love is so obvious and powerful,
When the wind or the stars are violent
Even when the world around us is chaotic and unpredictable,
Can you be silent?
Will you still be able to keep our relationship a secret?
You can kiss, but never tell
The wizard's advice is to enjoy our relationship but never reveal it to anyone.
All the wisdom you need
The key to keeping our relationship a secret lies in being wise and discreet.
And you'll be needing some
To maintain our privacy, you'll need to exercise some self-control.
Can be heard in the mouth of a seashell
The wisdom to maintain our secret love can be found in nature if you listen closely.
Just the wide grey sky
Our secret love will only be witnessed by the wide open sky above us.
And the hunchback moon
And the moon with its physical imperfections will also bear witness to our love.
Will keep our memories
Our memories of each other will be preserved by nature and the elements.
Not a living soul will remember us
Despite our intense love, we will fade into obscurity and our love story will be forgotten.
This is just for you and me
Our secret love is for our own enjoyment and not meant for anyone else to share.
If you're out with the boys one night
If you break our pact and share our secret with others,
If you're out with the boys and there's braggin'
And you boast about our relationship to your friends,
If you break, speak and call me your lover,
And can't resist talking about me and our love,
I'll lie, I swear, I'll lie, and it will all be over
I will deny our love to anyone who asks, even if it means our relationship will come to an end.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CARLY E. SIMON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind