Coming Around Again (Carly Simon song)
1986 single by Carly Simon
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"Coming Around Again" is a song by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, written for the film Heartburn (1986) and later from the album of the same name, Coming Around Again (1987). Released as a single in 1986, it became one of Simon's biggest hits, peaking at No. 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.[1] It was also a top-10 hit in Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
| "Coming Around Again" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Single by Carly Simon | ||||
| from the album Coming Around Again and Heartburn soundtrack | ||||
| B-side | "Itsy Bitsy Spider" | |||
| Released | August 1986 | |||
| Length | 3:41 | |||
| Label | Arista | |||
| Songwriter | Carly Simon | |||
| Producers | Russ Kunkel, Bill Payne and George Massenburg with Paul Samwell-Smith | |||
| Carly Simon singles chronology | ||||
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The success of the song began a career resurgence for Simon. It is featured on multiple compilations of her work, including the three-disc box set Clouds in My Coffee (1995), the UK import The Very Best of Carly Simon: Nobody Does It Better (1998), the two-disc retrospective Anthology (2002), the single-disc Reflections: Carly Simon's Greatest Hits (2004), and Sony Music's Playlist: The Very Best of Carly Simon (2014).
"Itsy Bitsy Spider"
A similar stripped-down arrangement of "Coming Around Again" (key of C) was used in Simon's recording of the classic children's song "Itsy Bitsy Spider" (key of G), which was the B-side of the single and also included on the Coming Around Again album.[2]
When the song is sung as part of a medley, as it is on the 1987 album Greatest Hits Live which is the soundtrack to her HBO special Live from Martha's Vineyard, there is an extended turnaround acting not only as a bridge between the two songs, but also as a bridge between the two keys.
Reception
"Coming Around Again" became a worldwide hit; in the US, it peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Simon's 12th top-40 hit on the chart,[3] and No. 5 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, becoming her 19th top-40 hit on this chart.[4] The song was a success in Brazil, as it was included in the soundtrack of the telenovela O Outro. It was released as a single in the United Kingdom in January 1987, and reached a peak position of No. 10 on the UK Singles Chart in late February.[5] Additionally, the song reached No. 15 in South Africa,[6] No. 29 in Australia[7] and No. 38 in Canada.[8] It was most successful in Sweden, Ireland and Austria, reaching No. 3,[9] No. 5[10] and No. 6,[11] respectively.
Billboard said the song's "moody sway is comparable to the Thompsons' 'Hold Me Now.'"[12]
Music video
A music video for this song was filmed and went into heavy rotation in 1987. The video featured a home movie featuring Carly Simon as a baby and as a young child with her parents.[13]
Track listings and formats
7-inch single (worldwide)
- "Coming Around Again" – 3:31
- "Itsy Bitsy Spider" – 3:34
12-inch and CD single (UK, Germany)
- "Coming Around Again" – 3:31
- "Itsy Bitsy Spider" – 3:34
- "If It Wasn't Love" – 4:18
Cassette EP single (US)[14]
- "Coming Around Again/Itsy Bitsy Spider" (Live at Martha's Vineyard) – 7:04
- "Turn of the Tide" (1988 Democratic Convention Theme/Free to be a Family) – 4:04
- "Let the River Run" (Theme from Working Girl) – 3:40
Personnel
- Carly Simon – lead vocals, backing vocals, keyboards
- Scott Martin – keyboards, backing vocals
- Bill Payne – keyboards
- Russ Kunkel – drums
- Terri Homberg – backing vocals
- Paul Samwell-Smith – backing vocals
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[28] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Duet with Alanis Morissette
In 2025, Canadian rock singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette recorded a duet version of the song with Carly Simon. The version was released in all digital platforms. [29] The duet version was featured in the film My Mother's Wedding. [30]
Charts
| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Downloads (OCC)[31] | 20 |
| US Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[32] | 6 |