"Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" is a song by American R&B/pop singer Janet Jackson.

Song information

"Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" was the third single from Janet Jackson's seventh studio album, All for You. The original song was co-written and co-produced by Jackson, James Harris III, and Terry Lewis. It is built around a sample of Carly Simon's "You're So Vain", written solely by Simon. Simon also adds some new spoken parts into the song.

Like "You're So Vain", "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" generated speculation of who exactly the man described in the song was. The song is actually about men that are after Jackson's multimillion dollar fortune but some fans still believed that the song was about Jackson's ex-husband René Elizondo, Jr. Simon created a similar controversy when she released "You're So Vain" after she wed James Taylor. It was speculated to be about either Mick Jagger or Warren Beatty, among others. Like Jackson, Simon has never confirmed the identity of the man.

The song was remixed for release and features Missy Elliott and P. Diddy), peaking at number twenty-eight in the U.S. and becoming Jackson's thirtieth top forty single. The song became the first single from Jackson to miss the top ten since the Control era.

Story behind the song

If you could take Carly's voice out and try to imagine—which would probably be hard, because she's so awesome on this song—the song without her, that was the song. And obviously having to get her approval by using 'You're So Vain', I was on the phone with her and she wanted to just re-sing all her old parts and sing it all over again. I said, 'Yeah, I'm sure we can do that. That would be totally fine.' She said, 'I'd love to write just a line or two. Honestly there is no pressure [if] you guys don't want to use it. If you feel it fits, then go ahead and do so.' And Carly went back and wrote a whole song. It sounded so awesome that we decided to marry the two, and it really sounds, like, 'OK, we thought the whole thing through', for sure, and it worked perfectly, me co-singing what she sang. She doing the same as what I'm doing—co-singing what I sang—and that's how it became a duet.|||Janet Jackson|Yahoo! Music

I got first inkling of an interest through the usual link: a lawyer. Luckily mine was on the ball and interested and quick on his feet. He called me and made mention of the fact that Janet had recorded it and was going to call it: 'Son of a Gun'. She needed sample clearance. I asked that Janet call me, and she did that night. She could not have been sweeter or more appreciative. I said I would prefer to re-record everything that might otherwise have been sampled. Why get Elektra involved and potentially hold up the process? So, Jimmy Jam sent me their tracks and I went into a local studio here on the Vineyard and recorded about 10 new tracks worth of material. The rap was spontaneous and I didn't think they would end up using it, but they did and I couldn't be happier about it. It was the kind of fun you don't necessarily count on having.|||Carly Simon|carlysimon.com

Music video

For the single's music video, directed by Francis Lawrence and released in September 2001, The Original Flyte Tyme Remix of the song was used. The video includes themes of the undead and occult. Jackson is depicted in an angry manner, stalking a man (played by Project Runway season 5 contestant Jerell Scott) in an abandoned hotel. She summons Missy Elliott and a legion of zombies (including one that was created from a toilet). Jackson is also seen eating a spider, smashing jugs of water with a baseball bat, and taunting the man using telekinetic powers. Simon does not appear at all in the music video; she is however shown on the video screens on Jackson's All for You Tour during the song's opening. The video appears on the 2004 video compilation From janet. to Damita Jo: The Videos. A video for the P. Diddy Remix also exists.

Track listings and formats

European 12" single (VUST 232)

• Side A:
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (P. Diddy Extended Remix featuring Missy Elliott and P. Diddy) – 7:59
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Route 80 Remix featuring Missy Elliott) – 4:09
• Side B:
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Cottonbelly Dub) – 5:27
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (The Original Flyte Tyme Remix featuring Missy Elliott) – 4:13European CD maxi single (VUSCDF 232)
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (The Original Flyte Tyme Remix featuring Missy Elliott) – 4:13
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (P. Diddy Remix featuring Missy Elliott and P. Diddy) – 5:01
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Cottonbelly Remix) – 5:31
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Rock Remix featuring Missy Elliott) – 4:10
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Album Version) – 5:56UK 12" R&B promo single (VUSTDJ 232)
• Side A:
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (The Original Flyte Tyme Remix featuring Missy Elliott) – 4:13
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Rock Remix featuring Missy Elliott) – 4:10
• Side B:
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (P. Diddy Extended Remix featuring Missy Elliott and P. Diddy) – 7:59
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Route 80 Remix featuring Missy Elliott) – 4:09UK 12" promo single (VUSTDJX 232)
• Side A:
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Cottonbelly Remix) – 5:25
• Side B:
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Cottonbelly Dub) – 5:27UK promo CD single (VUSCDJ232)
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (The Original Flyte Tyme Remix featuring Missy Elliott) – 4:13
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Radio Edit) – 4:00UK CD single (VUSCD232)
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (The Original Flyte Tyme Remix featuring Missy Elliott) – 4:13
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (P. Diddy Extended Remix featuring Missy Elliott and P. Diddy) – 7:59
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Route 80 Remix featuring Missy Elliott) – 4:09U.S. 12" promo single (304 594)
• Side A:
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Al B. Rich Son of a Club Edit) (Clean) – 7:01
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Al B. Rich Radio Edit) (Clean) – 4:00
• Side B:
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Al B. Rich Son of a Club Mix) (Dirty) – 9:41
• "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Al B. Rich Tribe-A-Pella) (Dirty) – 4:30

U.S. double 12" promo single (SPRO-16497)

1. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (P. Diddy Extended Version - Edited featuring Missy Elliott and P. Diddy) – 7:59
2. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Rock Remix featuring Missy Elliott) – 4:10
3. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (The Original Flyte Time Remix Video Version featuring Missy Elliott) – 4:13
4. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Route 80 Remix featuring Missy Elliott) – 4:09
5. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Route 80 Instrumental) – 4:10
6. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (P. Diddy Instrumental) – 4:54
7. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (The Original Flyte Time Remix Instrumental) – 4:10
8. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Rock Remix) – 4:10
9. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Album Version - Edited) – 4:03
10. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Cottonbelly Remix) – 5:31U.S. 12" single (7243 5 46171 1 9)
11. Side A:
12. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (P. Diddy Super Extended Remix Edited featuring Missy Elliott and P. Diddy) – 7:59
13. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (The Original Flyte Time Remix Video Version featuring Missy Elliott) – 4:13
14. Side B:
15. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Rock Remix featuring Missy Elliott) – 4:10
16. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (P. Diddy Super Extended Instrumental) – 7:55U.S. promo CD single (DPRO-16483)
17. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (P. Diddy Remix Radio Edit featuring Missy Elliott and P. Diddy) – 4:26
18. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (The Original Flyte Time Remix Video Version featuring Missy Elliott) – 4:13
19. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Rock Remix featuring Missy Elliott) – 4:10
20. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Route 80 Remix featuring Missy Elliott) – 4:09
21. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (P. Diddy Super Extended Remix Edited featuring Missy Elliott and P. Diddy) – 7:59
22. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Radio Edit) – 4:00Japanese promo CD single (VJCP-12144)
23. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (The Original Flyte Tyme Remix featuring Missy Elliott) – 4:13
24. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (P. Diddy Remix featuring Missy Elliott and P. Diddy) – 5:01
25. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Cottonbelly Remix) – 5:25
26. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Rock Remix featuring Missy Elliott) – 4:10
27. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" (Album Version) – 5:56

Official remixes

The song's album version features Simon only, while the version released for radio was The Original Flyte Time Remix which cut Simon's and Jackson's parts significantly, censored explicit words, and also included a new rap from Missy Elliott (in which she repeats Michael Jackson's verse in his 1982 duet with Paul McCartney, "The Girl Is Mine", saying "I'm a lover, not a fighter (but I crack your teeth)"). Other remixes such as the Route 80 Remix, the Rockwilder Remix, and the P. Diddy Remix were remixes of The Original Flyte Time Remix, not the album version. The remixes produced by P. Diddy completely eliminate the original song's chords and background music.

• Album Version (Clean) – 5:56
• Album Version (Dirty) – 5:56
• Radio Edit (Clean) – 3:58 (also: Album Edit)
• The Original Flyte Tyme Remix featuring Missy Elliott (Clean) – 4:14
• The Original Flyte Tyme Remix featuring Missy Elliott (Dirty) – 4:14
• The Original Flyte Tyme Remix Instrumental – 4:04
• P. Diddy Instrumental – 4:45
• P. Diddy Remix featuring Missy Elliott and P. Diddy (Clean) – 5:07
• P. Diddy Radio Remix featuring Missy Elliott and P. Diddy (Clean) – 4:26
• P. Diddy Radio Remix w/o Intro featuring Missy Elliott and P. Diddy (Dirty) – 4:20
• P. Diddy Super Extended Mix featuring Missy Elliott and P. Diddy (Clean) – 8:01
• P. Diddy Super Extended Mix featuring Missy Elliott and P. Diddy (Dirty) – 8:01
• P. Diddy Super Extended Mix Instrumental – 8:01
• Cottonbelly Remix – 5:31
• Cottonbelly Dub – 5:35
• Cottonbelly Extended Dance Mix – 6:35
• Al B. Rich Son of a Club Remix (Dirty) – 9:41
• Al B. Rich Son of a Club Edit (Clean) – 7:01
• Al B. Rich Radio Edit (Clean) – 4:00
• Al B. Rich Tribeapella (Dirty) – 4:30
• Al B. Rich Son of a Dub (Dirty) – 9:37
• Route 80 Remix featuring Missy Elliott (Clean) – 4:09
• Route 80 Remix featuring Missy Elliott (Dirty) – 4:09
• Route 80 Instrumental – 4:10
• Rock Remix featuring Missy Elliott (Clean) – 4:10
• Rock Remix featuring Missy Elliott (Dirty) – 4:10
• Rock Instrumental – 4:04

Charts

Chart (2001)	Peak position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart	20
German Singles Chart	69
Deutsche Black Charts	1
Irish Singles Chart	21
Italian FIMI Singles Chart	36
UK Singles Chart	13
UK R&B Singles Chart	2
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	28
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs	26

Chart (2002)	Peak position
Belgian Ultratop 50 Singles (Flanders)	20
Belgian Ultratop 40 Singles (Wallonia)	25
Danish Singles Chart	19
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart	49
Swedish Singles Chart	48
Swiss Singles Chart	56
United World Chart	23
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	7

References