Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and throughout western Canada, before moving on to the nightclubs of Toronto, Ontario. She moved to the United States and began touring in 1965. Some of her original songs ("Urge for Going", "Chelsea Morning", "Both Sides, Now", "The Circle Game") were recorded by other folk singers, allowing her to sign with Reprise Records and record her debut album, Song to a Seagull, in 1968. Settling in Southern California, Mitchell helped define an era and a generation with popular songs like "Big Yellow Taxi" and "Woodstock". Her 1971 album Blue is often cited as one of the best albums of all time; it was rated the 30th best album ever made in Rolling Stone's 2003 list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time", rising to number 3 in the 2020 edition. In 2000, The New York Times chose Blue as one of the 25 albums that represented "turning points and pinnacles in 20th-century popular music". NPR ranked Blue number 1 on a 2017 list of Greatest Albums Made by Women.
Mitchell switched labels and began exploring more jazz-influenced melodic ideas, by way of lush pop textures, on 1974's Court and Spark, which featured the radio hits "Help Me" and "Free Man in Paris" and became her best-selling album. Mitchell's vocal range began to shift from mezzo-soprano to more of a wide-ranging contralto around 1975. Her distinctive piano and open-tuned guitar compositions also grew more harmonically and rhythmically complex as she melded jazz with rock and roll, R&B, classical music and non-Western beats. In the late 1970s, she began working with noted jazz musicians including Jaco Pastorius, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Pat Metheny as well as Charles Mingus, who asked her to collaborate on his final recordings. She later turned to pop and electronic music and engaged in political protest. She was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards in 2002 and became a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2021.
Mitchell produced or co-produced most of her albums. A critic of the music industry, she quit touring and released her 17th and last album of original songs in 2007. Mitchell has designed most of her own album covers, describing herself as a "painter derailed by circumstance".
Conversation
Joni Mitchell Lyrics
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I comfort him sometimes
Comfort and consultation
He knows that's what he'll find
I bring him apples and cheeses
He brings me songs to play
He sees me when he pleases
I see him in cafes
And turn away before his lady knows
How much I want to see him
She removes him, like a ring
To wash her hands
She only brings him out to show her friends
I want to free him
Secrets and sharing soda
That's how our time began
Love is a story told to a friend
It's second hand
But I'll listen to his questions
I'll give my answers when they're found
He says she keeps him guessing
I know she keeps him down
She speaks in sorry sentences
Miraculous repentance's
I don't believe her
Tomorrow he will come to me
And he'll speak his sorrow's endlessly and he'll ask me why
Why can't I leave her
He comes for conversation
I comfort him sometimes
Comfort and consultation
He knows that's what he'll find
He knows that's what, he'll find
In “Conversation,” Joni Mitchell describes an affair with a man who comes to her for comfort and consultation. She brings him food, and he brings her songs to play. Despite their clear attraction to each other, Joni only says hello and turns away every time she sees him with his lady, whom she wants to set him free from. The song also touches on their shared secrets and soda and the inevitable love story they share. While the man she is involved with speaks in sorry sentences and miraculous repentances, Joni listens to his questions and offers advice when she can.
The song delves into the complicated nature of relationships and how they can pull and push people in different directions. Joni portrays herself as someone who is willing to provide emotional support and comfort but ultimately wants more. The song speaks to the human desire for love and connection but also demonstrates how the complexity of emotions can sometimes prevent us from fulfilling our desires.
Line by Line Meaning
He comes for conversation
He comes to talk to me and spend time with me.
I comfort him sometimes
I give him support and sympathy when he needs it.
Comfort and consultation
I listen to him and help him work through his problems.
He knows that's what he'll find
He knows that he can count on me to be there for him.
I bring him apples and cheeses
I share food with him and try to make him feel at home.
He brings me songs to play
He shares his music with me and brings joy to my life.
He sees me when he pleases
He comes to me when he wants to, without any pressure or expectations.
I see him in cafes
We meet in public places so as to stay discreet.
And I only say, hello
Our meetings are brief and we keep it simple in public.
And turn away before his lady knows
I make sure to avoid his partner so as not to cause any trouble or hurt her feelings.
How much I want to see him
I have deep feelings for him and long to see him more often, but I know it's not possible.
She removes him, like a ring
His partner controls him and takes him away from me whenever she feels like it.
To wash her hands
She uses him and then discards him, like a piece of clothing.
She only brings him out to show her friends
She uses him as a status symbol and to impress others.
I want to free him
I deeply care for him and wish he could be with me, away from his controlling partner.
Secrets and sharing soda
Our relationship started out small and innocent, sharing secrets and soda.
That's how our time began
We started off slowly, as friends, and our relationship evolved over time.
Love is a story told to a friend
Our love is a secret that only we know about, and we keep it hidden from everyone else.
It's second hand
Our love is not conventional or traditional, and doesn't fit into society's norms.
But I'll listen to his questions
I care about his thoughts and feelings, and want to understand him better.
I'll give my answers when they're found
I try to help him find the answers to his questions and problems, and offer advice when I can.
He says she keeps him guessing
His partner is confusing and unpredictable, and he's never sure where he stands with her.
I know she keeps him down
His partner is emotionally abusive and controlling, and she holds him back from being himself.
She speaks in sorry sentences
His partner apologizes, but it's insincere and doesn't result in real change or improvement in their relationship.
Miraculous repentance's
Her attempts at reconciling are superficial and unrealistic.
I don't believe her
I know that his partner is not sincere and has no intention of changing her ways.
Tomorrow he will come to me
We have plans to meet up again soon.
And he'll speak his sorrow's endlessly and he'll ask me why
He will share his sadness and frustrations with me, and we will wonder why he can't break free from his controlling partner.
Why can't I leave her
He feels trapped and unable to escape his toxic relationship, and wishes he could be with me instead.
He knows that's what, he'll find
He knows that when he comes to me, he'll find comfort, support, and understanding.
Lyrics © Crazy Crow Music / Siquomb Music Publishing, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Joni Mitchell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind