Song of the Day: "Big Yellow Taxi" from Ladies of the Canyon
In an interview with Alan McDougall in the early 70's, Joni explained why she wrote "Big Yellow Taxi":
Quote:
I wrote 'Big Yellow Taxi' on my first trip to Hawaii. I took a taxi to the hotel and when I woke up the next morning, I threw back the curtains and saw these beautiful green mountains in the distance. Then, I looked down and there was a parking lot as far as the eye could see, and it broke my heart... this blight on paradise. That's when I sat down and wrote the song.
Song of the Day: "Blonde in the Bleachers" from For the Roses
This song is about a blonde groupie who wants to spend time with a "rock and roll man" (James Taylor). In the song, Joni acknowledges the impossibility of sharing her life with the "rock and roll man".
She tapes her regrets
To the microphone stand
She says "You can't hold the hand
Of a rock 'n' roll man
Fun fact: This is one of Stevie Nicks' favorite songs.
Quote:
This is about a girl who [sings] "tapes her regrets to the microphone stand, she says 'you can't hold the hand of a rock'n'roll man for very long'". I never saw myself as the girl in the song – I identified with the rock'n'roll star. I was never gonna be the groupie. I was the star, I was sure of that. I listen to that song to this day. It's on the playlist I have for when I'm preparing to go on stage. I felt sorry for the girl in the song, and for all the girls who got their hearts broken going out with rock'n'roll stars. I don't think much has changed. Guys become famous, go on the road, all the beautiful girls come to their show, and it's a free for all. My advice to the young women I know is don't go out with a rock star. It's never gonna work.
I went out with Lindsey but he was a colleague, and he was very in love with me. I was not worried one bit about Lindsey Buckingham straying from me. We came to LA together, hand-in-hand, to conquer the world. http://www.theguardian.com/music/201...dtrack-my-life
This is my favorite song on Blue. Joni is a fantastic storyteller.
All good dreamers pass this way some day
Hidin' behind bottles in dark cafes dark cafes
Only a dark cocoon before I get my gorgeous wings and fly away
Only a phase these dark café days
My family listens to some old music radio station (it's like 70s-80s soft rock or something), and Joni and Carly Simon are the only two people played on that station that I like or care about, but everyone else hates Joni and changes the station when she comes on.
I changed the deadline to April 2nd because Vespertine is banned. He has yet to submit his scores, and I don't want one of Joni's biggest fans to not be included.
Sometimes change comes at you
like a broadside accident
There is chaos to the order
Random things you can't prevent
There could be trouble around the corner
There could be beauty down the street
Synchronized like magic
Good friends you and me
This is my favorite song on Blue. Joni is a fantastic storyteller.
All good dreamers pass this way some day
Hidin' behind bottles in dark cafes dark cafes
Only a dark cocoon before I get my gorgeous wings and fly away
Only a phase these dark café days
The theme of the song is the need to either change your life or take responsibility for it, since "it all comes down to you."
I personally think the bridge is one of the best bridges ever written.
You go down to the pick up station
Craving warmth and beauty
You settle for less than fascination
A few drinks later you're not so choosy
When the closing lights strip off the shadows
On this strange new flesh you've found
Clutching the night to you like a fig leaf
You hurry
To the blackness
And the blankets
To lay down an impression
And your loneliness
"I was thinking of Amelia Earhart and addressing it from one solo pilot to another... sort of reflecting on the cost of being a woman and having something you must do."
I'm sure most of you know that Amelia Earhart was a famous aviator who mysteriously vanished during a flight over the Pacific Ocean back in 1937.
People will tell you where they've gone
They'll tell you where to go
But till you get there yourself you never really know
Where some have found their paradise
Others just come to harm
Oh, Amelia it was just a false alarm
This is the only song in the rate that wasn't included on a studio album.
Joni introduced the song this way on November 15, 1966 at the Wisdom Tooth:
Quote:
In Saskatoon or in Saskatchewan – or on the prairies for that matter, that includes the American prairies - the winters and the summers are very radical with the temperature varying as much as 150 degrees in a season. So when the winter sets in it really sets in and drops down to about 50 below and all the people sit around and complain a lot, but they never really do anything about it. Some people think that they’re frozen stiff but that’s not really true. They just complain and say “I wish I was in Florida" and the farmers and the people who are wealthy enough do go down to Florida or some island for the winter. But then the rest of us poor old common folk up there have to sit and suffer through. And that was what I had in mind when I wrote this song but I think it means different things to different people. It’s called the "Urge for Going." http://jonimitchell.com/music/song.cfm?id=71
Fun fact: "Urge for Going" is one of the two songs in Joni's catalogue that were written in standard tuning. The other song is "Tin Angel", which is also in this rate.