Rod Stewart Classic ‘You’re In My Heart’ About Bond Girl Britt Ekland
The origins of Sir Rod Stewart’s 1977 hit You’re In My Heart have long been a subject of speculation. While the rock legend himself has credited his beloved football club Glasgow Celtic as the true inspiration behind the ballad, Britt Ekland—a name synonymous with Bond-era glamour—has a different story to tell.
The Swedish actress, whose relationship with Stewart defined an era of tabloid romance, insists the lyrics immortalize their four-year entanglement, not his devotion to the Hoops.
The Bond Girl’s Claim
Britt Ekland, best known for portraying Mary Goodnight opposite Roger Moore in The Man with the Golden Gun, has never shied away from staking her claim on Stewart’s discography.
At one point, she even considered legal action, asserting that her presence in his life influenced much of the Foot Loose & Fancy Free album. As well as You’re In My Heart, other tracks such as Hot Legs, I Was Only Joking bear the unmistakable imprint of their tempestuous romance.
Story continues below…
Their relationship, which began in the mid-70s, had all the hallmarks of a rock-and-roll fairy tale—an electric first meeting backstage at one of Stewart’s Los Angeles gigs, and Ekland was adamant about the song’s true inspiration, claiming: “Rod Stewart wrote You’re In My Heart about me but when we split, he said it’s about Celtic FC.”
Yet, their romance also had its quirks. Ekland once revealed that Stewart had a rather unexpected habit—borrowing her underwear. “He did use to like to wear my underwear though,” she alleged. “He would wear these baggy satin trousers and needed little satin pants. Rod would wear my knickers. He liked them.”
The Lyrics: A Coded Tribute?
The song itself remains tantalizingly ambiguous. “You’re ageless, timeless, lace and fineness. You’re beauty and elegance… You’re every schoolboy’s dream,” Stewart croons, before adding, “You’re Celtic, United, but baby, I’ve decided… You’re the best team I’ve ever seen.”
For Ekland, the imagery is unmistakable. And yet, Stewart—ever the showman—has leaned into the footballing mythology. His lifelong love affair with Celtic FC is well documented, from impassioned terrace celebrations to misty-eyed renditions of club anthems.
A Relationship That Changed Stewart Forever
Whatever the song’s true origins, Stewart himself has acknowledged that he was believeing in his own hype, especially after meeting “Britt Ekland, international film star, Bond girl.” Although he confessed to falling for her, he also owned up to being a “Jack the Lad”—but, as he mused, who wouldn’t be, especially after a few nights with Miss Goodnight?
The relationship wasn’t built to last, but its aftershocks brought Stewart back to earth. “People used to say, ‘They’re the new Burton and Taylor’ and I believed it,” said the rock star. “I think I thanked the press for knocking me back down again… no one would tell me what to do, I wish they would sometimes.”
Myth, Music, and Memory
In the end, You’re In My Heart remains an enigma—part love letter to a woman, part anthem to a football club, or perhaps a tribute to both. For Britt Ekland, it’s a lyrical monument to a love that once burned brightly. For listeners, it’s a reminder that the best songs, much like the best love stories, resist easy interpretation. And as for James Bond? Well, Some Guys Have All the Luck—and he’s had plenty of it.
