My Top Five: Joni Mitchell

I’ve spent a large chunk of my weekend reading a really dense book (The Choosing People by Avraham Russak) and my brain now hurts. Actually, it’s kind of just spinning in loops of thoughts. But it also kinda hurts… You get the point. So I figured we’d take a break from the regularly scheduled sociology-filled programming to do something a little bit more personal. I thought I’d delve into another favorite realm of mine: music! Despite spending a majority of this week listening to a “slow jazz” playlist on Spotify, it was actually Joni Mitchell who came to mind when I first pondered the idea of doing a series of “My Top Five” posts on here. Instead of fighting my brain on these thoughts (I’ve learned that fighting my thoughts doesn’t work), I decided to run with them! So I present to you: my personal top five songs by Her Royal Highness, Joni Mitchell. (And yes, they are in order)

No. 5: Both Sides Now, 1969 “Clouds” album

“I’ve looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It’s life’s illusions I recall
I really don’t know life at all.”

My favorite lyric, found in the last choruses of the song.

I am obsessed with the idea of duality, or the existence of multiple perspectives. This song outlines all of them, ranging from clouds, to love, to life. Personally, I’ve taken it into my own realms of existence (knowledge, God, myself, etc.). What I find fascinating about this particular song is the fact that on the original album (not the later rerelease) Mitchell uses a quick tempo and seemingly happy approach to the contents. It makes me wonder if we can be happy in the existence of duality, or not knowing. Can we find contentment in this middle ground of understanding multiple perspectives and then saying “well I guess I don’t know”. Personally, I’ve always attached the word “yet” to the end of that thought. And, it’s just a catchy tune. We need those every once in a while.

No 4: A Case of You, 1971 “Blue” album

“I remember that time you told me you said
‘Love is touching souls’
Surely you touched mine 
‘Cause part of you pours out of me 
In these lines from time to time.”

My favorite lyric, found in the second verse of the song.

We can’t talk about Joni Mitchell and not talk about the infamous “Blue” album. I resonate with this lyric in particular because I consider myself a writer. Ironically, Joni Mitchell has always considered herself a painter before a musician, but dang can she write. I’ve actually written poetry based off of her songs, this one namely, and I’ve found that when you love someone (whether romantic, platonic, familial, or otherwise), they genuinely do come out in those creative outlets. But again, this song is all about duality. “I could drink a case of you and still be on my feet”, “so bitter and so sweet”. I mean, come on. Amazing song.

No. 3: Big Yellow Taxi, 1970 “Ladies of the Canyon” album

“Don’t it always seem to go 
That you don’t know what you’ve got 
Till it’s gone 
They paved paradise 
And put up a parking lot”

My favorite lyric, found in the chorus of the song.

Above all else, this is a really catchy song. could keep rambling about duality, but I won’t. I actually associate this song a lot with religion. I don’t know that I’m quite ready to publicly elaborate on that yet, but think about it. Instead, I’ll list off some of the best covers of this song. In 2001, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin sang this (featuring James Taylor) and Joni’ Mitchell’s birthday celebration. It’s somewhere on YouTube. More recently, Harry Styles actually did a great cover of it. I’m not a Harry Styles fan really, but I did enjoy his rendition.

No. 2: Coyote, 1976 “Hejira” album

“There’s no comprehending
Just how close to the bone and the skin and the eyes
And the lips you can get
And still feel so alone”

My favorite lyric, found in the first verse of the song.

There are a few reasons this song is the penultimate one on this list. First, let us enjoy this lyric. [insert word of the day here]. I think about this idea of being a “prisoner of the white lines on the freeway” and what it then means to be peacefully alone. This idea of being alone, but not lonely. You can be alone in a room full of people. You can be alone when you’re staring into the bone and the skin and the eyes and the lips of someone else. Now there’s a lot more to unpack in this lyric, but let’s not forget that it is followed by “and still feel related”… It’s a funky story about a coyote, but Mitchell uses words we can relate to a whole myriad of existences. Now, I am about to make a bold statement. If you don’t think the “Last Waltz” performance of this song is the best performance of it, we’re not friends. This is very closely followed by the recording of it in Gordon Lightfoot’s home, but I digress. I also think the classification of this song as a “folk jazz” song is quite literally perfect and divine.

And now… my ultimate Joni Mitchell song… From her first recorded album:

No. 1: Cactus Tree, 1968 “Song to A Seagull” album

“She will love them when she sees them 
They will lose her if they follow 
And she only means to please them 
And her heart is full and hollow 
Like a cactus tree
While she’s so busy being free”

My favorite lyric, found at the very end of the song.

I am completely obsessed with this song. Again, there’s a lot of personal stuff that I’m not sure I’m ready to publicly declare, but oh how this song resonates with one of my largest stages of life. All about love, freedom, wisdom, and more, this song captures the essence of being a free woman. I love it. Through the lens of a woman who was admired by many lovers, this song toys with the ideas of commitment, love, sex, and liberation. While not all of those concepts ring with me, a select number of them ring loud enough for this song to take the number one spot on this list. And, of course, it is even more perfect coming from Joni Mitchell’s first recorded album. She’s been iconic since day one.

Honorable Mentions:

And if you ask me tomorrow, all of the songs mentioned in this post likely will have changed. I’m off now to complete some final exams (and stick my nose back in a book), but I’ll be back again soon, and we’ll be returning to the endless study of sociology!