I’m So Vain

Charlottesville

June 24, 2025

I was searching for a pair of sunglasses today. I have way more pairs than I need. I guess I went through a phase of thinking there was going to be a shortage of sunglasses!😎

I came across this pair. Flood of memories. My first pair of sunglasses. They were extravagantly expensive it seemed at the time (1980?). I think I bought them at Keller & George.

(Carly Simon sure went through a beautiful phase.)

All the cool kids at UVa wore aviators, and I wanted to be like them. Talk about being a lemming! I was so aware of how much they cost that I guarded them with my life. I even printed my name on the inside of the case. The fact that I still have them 45 years later demonstrates how precious they were to me. I don’t think I wore them often for fear of losing them. Hard to look cool in your aviators if you don’t wear them!

I still remember how I thought people (ok, I’m thinking girls) who wore them gained two points on the 1-10 attractiveness scale. And all those girls were with guys who wore aviators.

My mind just took me to the lyrics to John Melloncamp’s song “Get A Leg Up.” Especially the lyric “You know I ain't that handsome, no, but you know I ain't shy, shy, shy.” He really was not a good-looking guy, but he always had beautiful women in his life. I wonder if he wore aviators? 🤪

Don't look at me, don't touch me

Keep your mind straight ahead

Don't get no funny ideas about we

You'll wish that you were dead

That's what I'm thinking, she must be thinking

Girl I spent 53 bucks on last night

She gives me a look from the corner of her eye

That says, "Boy, keep acting right"

How surprised was I when she leaned over

And whispered in my ear

Get a leg up

Get a leg over boy

Get a leg up

What's the matter

Are you shy, shy, shy?

I'm pretty good with first impressions

But sometimes I'm not always right

I pulled the car to the shoulder of the road

To see what she had in mind

Want me to spend the night

Hey, lover boy you know I will

And my best girlfriend lives down the road

Together we will thrill ya

And I'm thinking to myself

I could be lucky Pierre tonight

If I could get a leg up

If I could get a leg over boy

You know I ain't that handsome, no

But you know I ain't shy, shy, shy

Oh, god damn, Millie

The rest of the night went on and on

And the moral to this song

Don't go making hasty judgments

'Cause sometimes they could be wrong

Nothing wrong with a good time

Just keep yourself protected, make a list

And you can bet your life that the women don't know

The little girls are acting like this, yeah

So the next time a young one moves up

And she whispers in your ear

Get a leg up

Get a leg over boy

Get a leg up

Now don't you be shy, shy, shy

Get a leg up

Get a leg over boy

You know I ain't that handsome

But you know I ain't shy, shy, shy

Get a leg up

Get a leg over boy

Get a leg up

Now don't you be shy, shy, shy

Oh, shotgun

It is still a universal truth — it’s always about the girls.