This expression was used in the 1972 Carly Simon song, "You're So Vain." To understand the meaning, it is helpful to read the full lyrics of the song. Prior to the refrain, the lyric "And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner
They'd be your partner, and..."
What was it that Simon was dreaming about? The prospect of a relationship with subject of the verse. The lyrics were written about someone after the end of a relationship, several years afterward, in fact. Simon laments that a relationship was, is, and will continue to be made impossible by the deep character flaws of the subject, most prominently, their vanity.
Understanding this, 'clouds in my coffee' refers to a metaphorical distortion or illusion. Coffee is black, clouds are white and have patterns. When one sees such things reflected in the surface of a liquid, they are readily identifiable as illusion. In matters of love, illusions are more difficult to discern.
Simon expresses her lament that her belief in a future with this shallow individual was illusory and that it was an illusion shared over the years by several other women, followed by the statement that the subject WOULD think the song was about them, a statement made ironic by the fact the song really is about them as, for once, they would be arriving at a correct conclusion even if for the wrong reasons.
They'd be your partner, and..."
What was it that Simon was dreaming about? The prospect of a relationship with subject of the verse. The lyrics were written about someone after the end of a relationship, several years afterward, in fact. Simon laments that a relationship was, is, and will continue to be made impossible by the deep character flaws of the subject, most prominently, their vanity.
Understanding this, 'clouds in my coffee' refers to a metaphorical distortion or illusion. Coffee is black, clouds are white and have patterns. When one sees such things reflected in the surface of a liquid, they are readily identifiable as illusion. In matters of love, illusions are more difficult to discern.
Simon expresses her lament that her belief in a future with this shallow individual was illusory and that it was an illusion shared over the years by several other women, followed by the statement that the subject WOULD think the song was about them, a statement made ironic by the fact the song really is about them as, for once, they would be arriving at a correct conclusion even if for the wrong reasons.
As a simile: "I thought I saw an oasis, but it was a mirage, like clouds in coffee."
As a metaphor: "My dream was to be a movie star, but after many years of failure came to realize that I was seeing clouds in my coffee."
As a metaphor: "My dream was to be a movie star, but after many years of failure came to realize that I was seeing clouds in my coffee."
by DavidAndreaWilliamCarly<3 December 22, 2021
by coffeeluvr January 13, 2008
by Ryan Messina April 22, 2007
From Carly Simon's You're So Vain.
Coffee is awakening. Clouds block the sun and cloud your vision. Therefore, clouds in your coffee translates as not being able to see things clearly.
In the song, she was clouded by false love or infatuation and was not able to see the true character of whomever the song is about.
Coffee is awakening. Clouds block the sun and cloud your vision. Therefore, clouds in your coffee translates as not being able to see things clearly.
In the song, she was clouded by false love or infatuation and was not able to see the true character of whomever the song is about.
by mlh06 July 18, 2009
From the Carly Simon song, the line "I had some dreams they were clouds in my coffee".
When you pour cream into your coffee, at first it looks really cool, just like in opening salvo in the song. When he walked into the room he looks great, and the ladies all look at him and imagine great things. As it turns out, though, he's a cad. All he can really do is look great at first, leave a funky aftertaste, and then you need something to remove the bad taste from your life like a breath mint after a bad cup of creamed coffee. Well, coffee sorta does that anyway, but I'll take someone with coffee breath over coffee-with-cream breath any day of the week.
When you pour cream into your coffee, at first it looks really cool, just like in opening salvo in the song. When he walked into the room he looks great, and the ladies all look at him and imagine great things. As it turns out, though, he's a cad. All he can really do is look great at first, leave a funky aftertaste, and then you need something to remove the bad taste from your life like a breath mint after a bad cup of creamed coffee. Well, coffee sorta does that anyway, but I'll take someone with coffee breath over coffee-with-cream breath any day of the week.
by TheScorellis October 17, 2020