… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least four different artists who recorded under this name:
1. Sylvia Jane Hutton Kirby (born December 9, 1956), also known mononymously as Sylvia, is an American country music and country pop singer and songwriter. Her biggest hit (a crossover chart topper), was her single "Nobody" in 1982. It reached number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 5 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, number 9 on the Cashbox Top 100, and number 1 on the Billboard Country Singles chart. The song earned her a gold record certification and a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. Her other country chart hits include "Drifter" (number one in 1981), "Fallin' in Love", "Tumbleweed" and "Snapshot". She was named Female Vocalist of the Year by the Academy of Country Music for 1982. She is also credited with making the first "concept" music video clip to air on Country Music Television (CMT), with "The Matador".
When her contract with RCA ended, Sylvia took a break from touring and recording to focus on developing as a songwriter. In 1988 and 1989, she guest-hosted TNN's Crook and Chase show and her own Holiday Gourmet cooking special. Sylvia's first independent album, The Real Story, was released in 1996 on her own label, Red Pony Records. In a May 1998 People magazine review, Ralph Novak wrote, "Sylvia always sang with more intensity and resonance than most country singers... and she can still sing a story song better than almost anyone around."
In 2002, she followed with Where in the World, a set that marked the culmination of an 11-year musical collaboration with John Mock. Songwriter Craig Bickhardt contributed the song "Crazy Nightingale". Bickhardt had previously performed with Sylvia from 1984, and wrote the title cut to One Step Closer. Also in 2002, Sylvia released, A Cradle in Bethlehem, her first Christmas album. In 2016, the album, It's All in the Family, was released on Red Pony Records. In 2018, Sylvia released Second Bloom: The Hits Re-Imagined, an album of some of her hits she re-recorded with a more acoustic yet fully produced approach and, in 2022, Sylvia's new album, Nature Child: A Dreamer's Journey, was released on February 22.
2. Sylvia Robinson Vanderpool (May 29, 1935 – September 29, 2011), known mononymously as Sylvia, was an American singer, record producer, and record label executive. Robinson achieved success as a performer on two R&B chart toppers: as half of Mickey & Sylvia with the 1957 single "Love Is Strange", and her solo record "Pillow Talk" (1973). She later became known for her work as founder and CEO of the hip hop label Sugar Hill Records.
Robinson is credited as the driving force behind two landmark singles in the hip hop genre: "Rapper's Delight" (1979) by the Sugarhill Gang, and "The Message" (1982) by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, both of which she produced. At the 11th Annual Rhythm and Blues Awards Gala in 2000, she received a Pioneer Award for her career in singing and for founding Sugarhill Records. Several publications have dubbed her the "Mother of Hip Hop". In 2022, she was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Ahmet Ertegun Award category for being a major influence on the creative development of hip-hop's early successes, and is the first woman to receive the award unaccompanied by another person.
3. Sylvia Vrethammar is a popular vocalist from Sweden who made a big success with an English version of "Y Viva España".
4. Sylvia is also a black/thrash metal band from somewhere around Portland, Oregon, United States. Their current line up is Candy, Andrew, Sean and Reuben. They released a demo entitled 'Lizard Birdman', which is available on their Bandcamp website.
5. Sylvia was a progressive experimental band from Southern California. The band consisted of lead singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer Riz Story, drummer Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), guitarist Sean Murphy and Jon "Juano" Davison (Yes), and dissolved when Hawkins joined Alanis Morissette's band. This led to Story's formation of Anyone in 1995.
6. Sylvia is also the name of a northern soul singer ('It's A Good Life', 1968), possibly the same singer as the one listed as #1 (?).
You're a Legend in Your Own Mind
Sylvia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As you pull up in your black Seville
Every hair in place
You think that you got taste
Tailored and dressed to kill
I used to tell you
That you were the greatest
Give yourself a hand
You're a self-made man
A legend in your own mind
I catch you looking in the mirror
Polishing up your smile
You turn your gaze to me
Like I should fall at your feet
Well honey that′s not my style
I think you really think you're something
In your tight-fitting Calvin Klein
Go out and take a bow
You're gonna anyhow
You′re a legend in your own mind
You′re a legend in your own mind
I fell for you once but I must have been blind
Legend in your own mind
I'm not gonna be the next fool in line
Ain′t gonna work this time
You're just a legend in your own mind
You got a real smooth way of talking
You make a lie sound better than the truth
And you laugh the most at your own jokes
Thinking everybody laughs with you
I really hate to burst your bubble
But I′ve seen your act a thousand times
You say you're beautiful
You′ll never change a thing
You're a legend in your own mind
You're a legend in your own mind
I fell for you once but I must have been blind
Legend in your own mind
I′m not gonna be the next fool in line
Ain′t gonna work this time
You're just a legend in your own mind
You′re a legend in your own mind
I fell for you once but I must have been blind
Legend in your own mind
I'm not gonna be the next fool in line
Ain′t gonna work this time
You're just a legend in your own mind
In this song, Sylvia is addressing someone who has a highly inflated perception of themselves. They arrive in a fancy car, dressed to impress with every hair in place, and believe they are the greatest. Sylvia, however, is not convinced and sees through their act. The person is constantly looking in the mirror and polishing their smile, thinking that Sylvia should fall at their feet. But Sylvia is not taken in by their charm or smooth talking; she knows they are a self-made man, a legend in their own mind. Sylvia has fallen for this person before, but she won't make the same mistake again.
The lyrics are a warning to anyone who thinks they are better than they actually are. It's a critique of narcissism and self-absorption, reminding people that true greatness comes from humility, honesty, and hard work. It's easy to get caught up in one's own hype, but that doesn't make it real. The song is a playful and lighthearted take on this theme, delivered with a catchy melody and clever lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody's watching
As you pull up in your black Seville
Every hair in place
You think that you got taste
Tailored and dressed to kill
You arrive to the attention of others in your well-maintained car with immaculate grooming, believing that you possess impeccable taste and a deadly appearance.
I used to tell you
That you were the greatest
But you knew that all the time
Give yourself a hand
You're a self-made man
A legend in your own mind
Although I once praised your greatness, you were always aware of your own perceived greatness and have become entirely self-made. You consider yourself a legendary figure in your own mind.
I catch you looking in the mirror
Polishing up your smile
You turn your gaze to me
Like I should fall at your feet
Well honey that's not my style
I observe you admiring yourself in the mirror and correcting your smile. You then look at me, expecting me to worship you, but I do not conform to this expectation.
I think you really think you're something
In your tight-fitting Calvin Klein
Go out and take a bow
You're gonna anyhow
You're a legend in your own mind
You appear to have an inflated sense of self-importance, especially when displaying your physique in clothing such as tight-fitting Calvin Klein attire. You believe that you deserve recognition and admiration, even on your own terms, because you are a legend in your own mind.
You're a legend in your own mind
I fell for you once but I must have been blind
Legend in your own mind
I'm not gonna be the next fool in line
Ain't gonna work this time
You're just a legend in your own mind
You are solely renowned for being a 'legend' in your own mind. Despite falling for you in the past, I have since become aware of your extreme self-importance and refuse to be the latest victim of your delusions of grandeur.
You got a real smooth way of talking
You make a lie sound better than the truth
And you laugh the most at your own jokes
Thinking everybody laughs with you
You have a common trait of being very persuasive through your charisma, even when fabricating untruths. Furthermore, you find your jokes amusing to the point that you assume others are laughing with you.
I really hate to burst your bubble
But I've seen your act a thousand times
You say you're beautiful
You'll never change a thing
You're a legend in your own mind
I dislike being blunt, but I have witnessed your façade on countless occasions. Your insistence on your beauty and refusal to make changes only further confirm your self-absorbed, legendary status in your own mind.
Writer(s): Kye Fleming, Dennis W. Morgan
Contributed by Levi A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.