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".
Down to You
Joni Mitchell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Marked by lovers and styles of clothes
Things that you held high
And told yourself were true
Lost or changing as the days come down to you
Down to you
Constant stranger
You're a kind person
It's down to you
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
In the morning there are lovers in the street
They look so high
You brush against a stranger
And you both apologize
Old friends seem indifferent
You must have brought that on
Old bonds have broken down
Love is gone
Ooh, love is gone
Written on your spirit this sad song
Love is gone
Everything comes and goes
Pleasure moves on too early
And trouble leaves too slow
Just when you're thinking
You've finally got it made
Bad news comes knocking
At your garden gate
Knocking for you
Constant stranger
You're a brute, you're an angel
You can crawl, you can fly too
It's down to you
It all comes down to you
The lyrics of Joni Mitchell’s song Down to You explore the ever-changing nature of life, love, and everything in between. The first verse sets the tone, describing how everything in life is fleeting and impermanent, including lovers and trends in fashion. Even the strongest beliefs can change and be lost with time. As the days pass, everything falls down to the individual - it’s down to you to navigate through an ever-changing world.
The second verse tells the story of someone who craves “warmth and beauty” but settles for less. They go to the pickup station where they indulge in drinking and casual sex. When the night is over, reality sets in, and they hurry to escape the darkness and loneliness by laying down in their bed. In the morning, the individual realizes the mistake they have made. Old friendships seem indifferent and bonds have broken down, leading to the realization that love is gone. The final lines of the song reiterate the message that “it all comes down to you.” No matter what happens, at the end of the day, each person is responsible for their own life and choices.
The song conveys the feeling of loneliness and the inevitability of change in human relationships. The lyrics also emphasize the importance of taking responsibility for one’s own life, acknowledging that one's choices have consequences. Overall, Mitchell's storytelling captivates listeners by painting vivid images with her words, making the audience reflect on their own experiences of love, loss, and the constant uncertainties of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything comes and goes
The transient nature of life and how everything changes over time.
Marked by lovers and styles of clothes
The milestones and memories of life get associated with certain people and things.
Things that you held high
As you grow up, you realize that the things that used to matter to you might not be as important anymore.
And told yourself were true
Beliefs that you held onto as true might be challenged as you experience more of life.
Lost or changing as the days come down to you
The passage of time further changes how you perceive the world and how you react to it.
Down to you
The responsibility of how you react to life and how you shape events around you is ultimately yours.
Constant stranger
The sense of alienation that comes with feeling like you're constantly changing and that you don't really understand yourself.
You're a kind person
You have good intentions and want to do the right thing.
You're a cold person too
At times, you can be emotionally distant or detached from situations.
You go down to the pick up station
In search of connection and meaning, you look for love and companionship.
Craving warmth and beauty
You want to experience the depth of emotion that love and beauty can provide.
You settle for less than fascination
You realize that the idealized form of love and romance might not be possible, but you still make do with what's available to you.
A few drinks later you're not so choosy
Under the influence of alcohol, your standards for what you consider acceptable drop.
When the closing lights strip off the shadows
In a moment of clarity, you see things for what they really are.
On this strange new flesh you've found
You're with a new lover or friend who is unfamiliar to you.
Clutching the night to you like a fig leaf
You're afraid of being vulnerable, so you cling to the darkness and the anonymity it provides.
You hurry to the blackness and the blankets
You retreat into a lonely state to avoid dealing with the complexities of life and relationships.
To lay down an impression and your loneliness
You seek to make some kind of mark on the world or on another person, partly to deal with your own loneliness.
In the morning there are lovers in the street
You observe other people who are in love and happy, which only heightens your own feelings of loneliness.
They look so high
From your perspective, other people in love seem to be on a pedestal.
You brush against a stranger and you both apologize
You feel a sense of estrangement with most people and even someone brushing against you feels like an intrusion.
Old friends seem indifferent
You're not sure if your old friends even care about you anymore.
You must have brought that on
You realize that you're partly responsible for how others perceive you and how they treat you.
Old bonds have broken down
The ties that used to hold you together with loved ones are no longer as strong or meaningful.
Love is gone
The theme of lost love is pervasive throughout the song.
Ooh, love is gone
The repeated emphasis on this line underscores the sorrow and melancholy of the song.
Pleasure moves on too early
Even the moments of joy and happiness in life are fleeting.
And trouble leaves too slow
The problems and issues in life seem to linger and take longer to resolve.
Just when you're thinking you've finally got it made
Just when you think you've found some sense of stability or happiness, something comes along to upset it all.
Bad news comes knocking at your garden gate
As a metaphor for your personal space, even your deepest and most private thoughts can be invaded by external factors.
Knocking for you
The trouble and sadness are personal, and you cannot escape from them.
You're a brute, you're an angel
You contain both good and bad qualities within you.
You can crawl, you can fly too
You have a range of emotions and experiences that can be both painful and uplifting.
It's down to you
The ultimate responsibility for how you deal with life's highs and lows is yours and yours alone.
It all comes down to you
The repetition of this line drives home the message that personal responsibility and agency is key to living a fulfilling life.
Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Joni Mitchell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind