Honestly, it starts with a sneeze. "Baby sneezes, Mommy pleases." It’s such a mundane, almost jarringly domestic way to open a pop song. But that’s the magic of Carly Simon. When she released "Coming Around Again" in 1986, she wasn't just trying to write a radio hit. She was surviving.
The song was the anchor for the film Heartburn, which—if you know your 80s cinema—was Nora Ephron’s thinly veiled account of her own messy divorce from Carl Bernstein. Carly was going through it, too. Her marriage to James Taylor had imploded, and the industry was starting to treat her like a relic of the 70s.
The Anatomy of a Comeback
People forget how much was riding on this. By the mid-80s, Carly Simon was seen by some as "finished." Her previous album, Spoiled Girl, had flopped. Then came this track. It wasn’t flashy. It didn't have the big hair or the synth-heavy aggression of 1986. It was soft. It was wise. Basically, it was the sound of an adult finally admitting that life is just a series of cycles.
The song peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100, but its impact on the Adult Contemporary charts was massive, hitting No. 5. It didn't just save her career; it redefined it. It proved that there was a hungry audience for music that acknowledged "there's more room in a broken heart."
Why Carly Simon Songs Coming Around Again Feel Different in 2026
We’re living in a high-speed, digital-first world, yet this song feels more relevant than ever. Maybe it’s the Alanis Morissette effect. Just last year, in 2025, Alanis released a stunning duet version of the song with Carly for the film My Mother’s Wedding.
✨ Don't miss: Temuera Morrison as Boba Fett: Why Fans Are Still Divided Over the Daimyo of Tatooine
Hearing those two voices together? It’s a gut punch. Alanis has called Carly a "bar-setter," and you can hear that reverence in the recording. The duet actually managed to crack the UK Singles Downloads chart at No. 20 and the US Digital Song Sales at No. 6. It’s rare for a 40-year-old song to find a new gear like that, but carly simon songs coming around again have this weird habit of resurfacing exactly when the culture feels a bit too cynical.
The Weird Genius of the Itsy Bitsy Spider
Let’s talk about the B-side. Or the "medley" version that Carly often performs. She weaves "Itsy Bitsy Spider" into the tail end of "Coming Around Again." On paper, it sounds cheesy. In practice, it's brilliant.
The nursery rhyme serves as a metaphor for the song’s central theme: the relentless, often exhausting nature of perseverance. The spider climbs up, the rain washes him out, and he starts over. It’s the same thing as "playing the game" even when you know nothing stays the same.
- Original Release: October 12, 1986
- Production Team: Russ Kunkel, Bill Payne, George Massenburg
- Key: C Major (famously transposable for those of us who can't hit the high notes)
- The Vibe: Soft rock meets emotional survivalism
The Production Secrets
Produced by a heavy-hitting team including Russ Kunkel and Bill Payne (from Little Feat), the track has a specific "expensive" 80s sheen that somehow feels intimate. It’s the keyboards. They aren't jagged; they're pillowy.
🔗 Read more: Why Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Actors Still Define the Modern Spy Thriller
Carly’s vocals are mixed very "dry" and close to the mic. You can hear the breath. You can hear the age in her voice, which was a deliberate choice. It wasn't about sounding like a pop princess; it was about sounding like a woman who had seen some things.
The Heartburn Connection
You can't separate the song from the movie. Heartburn starred Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson. It was about infidelity, group therapy, and the realization that the person you love might be a total jerk.
Nora Ephron specifically wanted Carly because she knew Carly understood the "sophisticated pain" of the Upper West Side set. When Meryl Streep’s character is on the Eastern Airlines shuttle, clutching her baby and heading back to New York, "Coming Around Again" is what carries her there. It’s the sound of a woman rebuilding her life in real-time.
Common Misconceptions
A lot of people think this song is about James Taylor. While her divorce from him was certainly the backdrop of her life, she actually wrote it specifically for the movie’s script.
💡 You might also like: The Entire History of You: What Most People Get Wrong About the Grain
Another mistake? Thinking it’s a sad song. It’s actually profoundly optimistic. The chorus doesn't say "it’s over." It says "I believe in love." It’s a stubborn, almost defiant belief that the sun will come out again.
How to Revisit the Catalog
If you're looking to dive deeper into why carly simon songs coming around again still resonate, don't stop at the radio edit.
- The 1987 Martha’s Vineyard Live Version: This is the definitive performance. It’s stripped down, breezy, and features her kids.
- The Alanis Morissette Duet (2025): For a darker, more modern texture.
- The Album Coming Around Again: Check out "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of" and "All I Want Is You" (which features Roberta Flack!).
The 1987 album eventually went Platinum in the US and Silver in the UK. It wasn't a flash in the pan. It was a pillar of the era.
If you want to experience the full emotional arc of Carly’s 80s era, start by making a playlist that bridges her 70s hits like "You're So Vain" with the Coming Around Again album. Notice how the voice changes—it gets deeper, more resonant, and arguably much more interesting. You can find the 2025 duet on most streaming platforms under the My Mother's Wedding soundtrack, which is a great entry point for younger fans who might only know Carly from their parents' vinyl collection.