Daryll-Ann was a Dutch indie rock band, active from 1988 to 2004 and origin… Read Full Bio ↴Daryll-Ann was a Dutch indie rock band, active from 1988 to 2004 and originally hailing from the small town of Ermelo, although the band members had moved to Utrecht and Amsterdam by the time the group gained some prominence.

The band's figureheads and main songwriters were Jelle Paulusma (lead vocals) and Anne Soldaat (guitar, vocals). Critics often heard echoes of early Neil Young, Buffalo Springfield and other sixties bands from the American west in Daryll-Ann's particular blend of indie rock.

After an initial EP (Decibel, 1991) and début album (Renko, 1992) on tiny domestic labels, the band drew the attention of Hut, the indie branch of Virgin Records. The I Could Never Love You and Come Around EP's (1993 and 1994, respectively) were praised by critics in Holland and the U.K. The group toured Europe and their first full-length album for Hut, Seaborne West (1995), even saw a U.S. release. It received rave reviews in the U.K. music press.

Due to disappointing sales, however, the band was dropped by Hut and joined the respected Dutch indie label Excelsior Recordings, for which they continued to release albums to huge critical acclaim (but moderate commercial success). A small international cult following continued to follow the band, so that some of their Excelsior releases were also put out internationally.

Daryll-Ann's studio albums for Excelsior Recordings:

Daryll-Ann Weeps (1996)
Happy Traum (1999)
Trailer Tales (2002)
Don't Stop (2003)

Excelsior also released a limited edition live album, entitled DA Live (2000).

The band decided to call it a day in 2004. Frontman Jelle Paulusma resurfaced two years later with his first solo album, using his his family name Paulusma as his moniker, whereas guitarist Anne Soldaat went on to form the band Do The Undo (self-titled début album released in 2007) and subsequently started recording under his own name, Anne Soldaat.

2014 saw Daryll-Ann's eagerly anticipated re-formation: original line-up, no new new material, old songs only. The band's brief reunion and farewell tour of The Netherlands received rave reviews.

On April 24, 2022, the band reunited once again, this time for one night only, to perform at Paradiso during the 25th anniversary party of Excelsior Recordings.

You're So Vain
Daryll-Ann Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

They'd be your partner, and...

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

You had me several years ago
When I was still quite naïve.
Well, you said that we made such a pretty pair
And that you would never leave
But you gave away the things you loved
And one of them was me.

I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee
Clouds in my coffee, and...

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

I had some dreams they were clouds in my coffee
Clouds in my coffee, and...

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

Well, I hear you went up to Saratoga
And your horse, Naturally, won.
Then you flew your Lear jet up to Nova Scotia
To see the total eclipse of the sun.
Well, you're where you should be all the time
And when you're not you're with some underworld spy
Or the wife of a close friend
Wife of a close friend...

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

You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Daryll-Ann's You're So Vain describe a self-centered and egotistical person who walks into a party as if they own it. The person's appearance is carefully calculated, with a hat dipped below one eye and an apricot scarf, and they watch themselves in the mirror as if they are performing a dance. The person is admired by all the girls at the party, who dream of being their partner. However, the song takes on a more personal tone when the singer reveals that this person had once been in a relationship with them. The singer had been naive and believed that they had a strong connection, but the person gave away the things they loved, including the singer. The song concludes with the singer sarcastically listing off the person's accomplishments, including winning a horse race and watching a solar eclipse, before questioning the person's belief that the song is about them.

Overall, the lyrics to You're So Vain explore the idea of self-absorption and the impact it can have on relationships. The person being described is so focused on themselves that they are unable to connect with others on a deeper level, causing them to lose relationships that could have been meaningful.

Line by Line Meaning

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
You came to the party with an overwhelming sense of superiority and confidence, acting as if you were better than everyone else. You wore your hat and scarf in a way that seemed calculated to make others notice you. You constantly checked yourself out in the mirror, thinking everyone should be noticing your every move and admiring your appearance.

And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner They'd be your partner, and...
All the girls at the party were mesmerized by your charm and charisma, fantasizing about being with you, blindly unaware of your true nature.

You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you You're so vain, I bet you think this song is about you Don't you, don't you?
You are incredibly self-centered, thinking that everything that happens around you is all about you. You probably even think this song is specifically about you, but it's really just a commentary about your personality.

You had me several years ago When I was still quite naïve. Well, you said that we made such a pretty pair And that you would never leave But you gave away the things you loved And one of them was me.
A long time ago, before I knew any better, you convinced me that we were perfect for each other and that you would always love me. But as time passed, you gave up on the things that made you happy, including our relationship, and I was just one more thing to be discarded.

I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee Clouds in my coffee, and...
I had hopeful aspirations that never went anywhere, like the clouds that briefly float on the surface of my coffee before disappearing. These dreams were eventually shattered by you and your selfish actions.

Well, I hear you went up to Saratoga And your horse, Naturally, won. Then you flew your Lear jet up to Nova Scotia To see the total eclipse of the sun. Well, you're where you should be all the time And when you're not you're with some underworld spy Or the wife of a close friend Wife of a close friend...
I've heard that you went on extravagant trips and participated in high-stakes activities, living the life that you think you deserve. You always seem to know where you should be and what you should be doing, although sometimes you seem to have sketchy connections or relationships. You're always doing something you shouldn't be, whether that means betraying your friends or cheating on your significant other.

You're so vain You probably think this song is about you
You're so full of yourself that you likely believe everything is about you, including this song. However, this song is simply a commentary on your personality, and there are likely many other people who share your same personality traits.

Contributed by Jason C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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