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.

slave
Carly Simon Lyrics

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Listening for your footsteps
Just waiting like a fool
Burning with a fever
Only you can cool

The clock beside my pillow
Has ticked away the night
Like a heartbeat mocking me

Until the light

Gotta stop these thoughts about you
Gotta learn to live without you
Gotta find some freedom for this weary slave
'Cause I'm hungry for you
And I'm longing for you
And I'm burning for you

I worship your opinions
I imitate your ways
I try to make you grace me
With a word of praise

However much I tell myself
That I'm strong and free and brave
I'm just another woman
Raised to be a slave

Slave, nothing but a slave
Mind of a slave
Body of a slave

I find I gave away the soul
That I wanted you to save
I'm just another woman
Raised to be a slave

hungry for you
And longing for you
Burning for you
And I'm longing for you
burning for you

And I'm yearning for you
Longing for you

Overall Meaning

Carly Simon's "Slave" is a heartbreaking depiction of the way we willingly relinquish our power and become subservient to the people we love. The song is from her 1979 album "Spy" and is believed to be inspired by Simon's tumultuous relationship with then-husband James Taylor.

The lyrics are a cry of desperation from a woman who is hopelessly devoted to her lover. She is waiting for him, pining for him, and burning for him, even though he is not present. The clock beside her pillow ticks away the night, its sound a constant reminder of her longing. She is aware that she needs to break free from her enslavement to this person, but she cannot seem to find the strength to do so.

Simon skillfully uses metaphors throughout the song to convey the way in which she has lost herself in her love for her partner. She says she worships his opinions, imitates his ways, and seeks his approval. She has given away her soul to him, hoping that he will save her, but all he has done is turn her into his slave.

The song is a powerful commentary on the way in which women have been conditioned to believe that their worth is tied to their ability to please their partners. Simon's lyrics are raw and honest, and her delivery is both haunting and achingly beautiful.

Line by Line Meaning

Listening for your footsteps
I'm always waiting for you.

Just waiting like a fool
I'm a fool for waiting for you.

Burning with a fever
I'm consumed with a desire for you.

Only you can cool
Only you can satisfy that desire.

The clock beside my pillow
I can't fall asleep.

Has ticked away the night
I've been thinking about you all night.

Like a heartbeat mocking me
It feels like my heart is taunting me.

Until the light
Until morning comes.

Gotta stop these thoughts about you
I need to stop thinking about you.

Gotta learn to live without you
I need to move on from you.

Gotta find some freedom for this weary slave
I need to find the freedom to live my own life.