Dreamland
Joni Mitchell Lyrics


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It's a long, long way from Canada
A long way from snow chains
Donkey vendors slicing coconut
No parkas to their names
Black babies covered in baking flour
The cook's got a carnival song
We're going to lay down some place shady
With dreamland coming on
Dreamland, dreamland
Dreamland, dreamland

Walter Raleigh and Chris Columbus
Come marching out of the waves
And claim the beach and all concessions
In the name of the suntan slave
I wrapped that flag around me
Like a Dorothy Lamour sarong
And I lay down thinking national
With dreamland coming on
Dreamland, dreamland
Dreamland, dreamland

Good time Mary and a fortune hunter
All dressed up to follow the drums
Mary in a feather hula-hoop
Miss Fortune with a rose on her big game gun
All saints, all sinners shining
Heed those trumpets all night long
Propped up on a samba beat
With dreamland coming on
Dreamland, dreamland
Dreamland, dreamland

Tar baby and the Great White Wonder
Talking over a glass of rum
Burning on the inside
With the knowledge of things to come
There's gambling out on the terrace
And midnight ramblin' on the lawn
As they lead toward temptation
With dreamland coming on
Dream, dream, dreamland, dream, dreamland

In a plane flying back to winter
In shoes full of tropic sand
A lady in a foreign flag
On the arm of her Marlboro Man
The hawk howls in New York City
Six foot drifts on Myrtle's lawn
As they push the recline buttons down
With dreamland coming on
Dreamland, dreamland
Dreamland, dreamland
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na

La, la, la, la
La, la, li, da, da, da, da, di
Ba, da, do, da, do, da

African sand on the trade winds
And the sun on the Amazon
As they push the recline buttons down
With dreamland coming on
Dreamland, dreamland
Dreamland
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on




Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on, dream on, dream on

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Joni Mitchell's Dreamland evoke a sense of escape from reality and the longing for a utopian world. The first stanza describes a place that is far from Canada, where snow chains are no longer needed and vendors sell coconuts. The image of black babies covered in flour is also painted. The cook is singing a carnival song, and the singer is looking forward to finding a shady spot to rest in as Dreamland approaches. The second stanza references the arrival of Europeans in America as they claim the land for themselves, with the singer wrapping the flag around herself as if it were a sarong. Despite being far from home, she is reminded of her national identity. She lies down and waits for Dreamland.


The third stanza introduces Mary and a fortune hunter, who are preparing to follow the drums in their hula-hoop and with Miss Fortune carrying a big game gun. While all saints and sinners are shining, the trumpets play all night long. The fourth stanza describes Tar baby and the Great White Wonder talking over a glass of rum; they know that things will change. In the terrace, gambling takes place as midnight rambling occurs on the lawn. The fifth stanza finds the singer flying back to winter, her shoes still filled with sand from the tropics. A lady is accompanying the Marlboro Man, and the hawk is howling back in New York City. They both recline as Dreamland comes nearer.


Dreamland is a place of impossible fantasies, where escape from reality is possible. Joni Mitchell's use of vivid imagery transports the listener into an experiential journey through different cultural landscapes, religions, traditions, and migrations, all caught in a musical narrative of delight and trance. The musical arrangement features a Brazilian samba beat, and Mitchell uses her voice to create a playful, free-flowing melody that captures the essence of the dream-like state. The song evokes feelings of wanderlust, freedom, and escapism against the backdrop of societal oppression and political injustice. Dreamland is a timeless classic that captures the universal human desire for utopia and the unattainable pursuit of happiness.


Line by Line Meaning

It's a long, long way from Canada
The distance from Canada is significant


A long way from snow chains
The climate is different


Donkey vendors slicing coconut
Vendors are preparing food with manual labor


No parkas to their names
No one is wearing winter clothing


Black babies covered in baking flour
Babies are being taken care of in difficult living conditions


The cook's got a carnival song
The atmosphere is festive


We're going to lay down some place shady
People are looking for a comfortable spot to relax


With dreamland coming on
They are preparing for an imaginative experience


Walter Raleigh and Chris Columbus
The explorers are seeking a new place


Come marching out of the waves
The arrival is impressive


And claim the beach and all concessions
They are asserting their ownership


In the name of the suntan slave
They are using the sun to make a profit


I wrapped that flag around me
The flag is symbolizing culture


Like a Dorothy Lamour sarong
The flag is worn as a garment


And I lay down thinking national
The character is feeling patriotic


Good time Mary and a fortune hunter
People are looking for fun and money


All dressed up to follow the drums
They are dressing up for entertainment


Mary in a feather hula-hoop
Mary is attracted to exotic activities


Miss Fortune with a rose on her big game gun
Someone is carrying a weapon and may tempt fate


All saints, all sinners shining
Everyone is illuminated in the moment


Heed those trumpets all night long
The music is exciting


Propped up on a samba beat
The rhythm is seductive


Tar baby and the Great White Wonder
The characters are aware of racial issues


Talking over a glass of rum
Casual drinking and conversation is taking place


Burning on the inside
The heat of the moment is intense


With the knowledge of things to come
The characters are aware of future events


There's gambling out on the terrace
Gambling is taking place in open areas


And midnight ramblin' on the lawn
People are wandering around at night


As they lead toward temptation
There is a sense of indulgence


In a plane flying back to winter
People are returning to a familiar place


In shoes full of tropic sand
They have brought back memories of tropical activities


A lady in a foreign flag
Someone is carrying the culture of another country


On the arm of her Marlboro Man
She is with a strong, rugged man


The hawk howls in New York City
The sound of the hawk is significant


Six foot drifts on Myrtle's lawn
There is a lot of snow


As they push the recline buttons down
They are preparing to relax


Dream on
Imagination has no limits




Lyrics © O/B/O CAPASSO, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Joni Mitchell

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Catherine S. Todd

Dreamland
Joni Mitchell
It's a long, long way from Canada
A long way from snow chains
Donkey vendors slicing coconut
No parkas to their names
Black babies covered in baking flour
The cook's got a carnival song
We're going to lay down some place shady
With dreamland coming on
Dreamland, dreamland
Dreamland, dreamland
Walter Raleigh and Chris Columbus
Come marching out of the waves
And claim the beach and all concessions
In the name of the suntan slave
I wrapped that flag around me
Like a Dorothy Lamour sarong
And I lay down thinking national
With dreamland coming on
Dreamland, dreamland
Dreamland, dreamland
Good time Mary and a fortune hunter
All dressed up to follow the drums
Mary in a feather hula-hoop
Miss Fortune with a rose on her big game gun
All saints, all sinners shining
Heed those trumpets all night long
Propped up on a samba beat
With dreamland coming on
Dreamland, dreamland
Dreamland, dreamland
Tar baby and the Great White Wonder
Talking over a glass of rum
Burning on the inside
With the knowledge of things to come
There's gambling out on the terrace
And midnight ramblin' on the lawn
As they lead toward temptation
With dreamland coming on
Dream, dream, dreamland, dream, dreamland
In a plane flying back to winter
In shoes full of tropic sand
A lady in a foreign flag
On the arm of her Marlboro Man
The hawk howls in New York City
Six foot drifts on Myrtle's lawn
As they push the recline buttons down
With dreamland coming on
Dreamland, dreamland
Dreamland, dreamland
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na
La, la, la, la
La, la, li, da, da, da, da, di
Ba, da, do, da, do, da
African sand on the trade winds
And the sun on the Amazon
As they push the recline buttons down
With dreamland coming on
Dreamland, dreamland
Dreamland
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on, dream on, dream on
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Joni Mitchell



Meg Mc

It's a long, long way from Canada
A long way from snow chains
Donkey vendors slicing coconut
No parkas to their name
Black babies covered in baking flour
The cook's got a carnival song
We're going to lay down someplace shady
With dreamland coming on
Dreamland, dreamland
Dreamland, dreamland
Walter Raleigh and Chris Columbus
Come marching out of the waves
And claim the beach and all concessions
In the name of the suntan slave
I wrapped that flag around me
Like a Dorothy Lamour sarong
And I lay down thinking national
With dreamland coming on
Dreamland, dreamland
Dreamland, dreamland
Goodtime Mary and a fortune hunter
All dressed up to follow the drums
Mary in a feather hula-hoop
Miss Fortune with a rose on her big game gun
All saints, all sinners shining
Heed those trumpets all night long
Propped up on a samba beat
With dreamland coming on
Dreamland, dreamland
Dreamland, dreamland
Tar baby and the Great White Wonder
Talking over a glass of rum
Burning on the inside
With the knowledge of things to come
There's gambling out on the terrace
And midnight ramblin' on the lawn
As they lead toward temptation
With dreamland coming on
Dreamland, dreamland
Dreamland, dreamland
In a plane flying back to winter
In shoes full of tropic sand
A lady in a foreign flag
On the arm of her Marlboro Man
The hawk howls in New York City
Six-foot drifts on Myrtle's lawn
As they push the recline buttons down
With dreamland coming on
Dreamland, dreamland
Dreamland, dreamland
La, La ...
African sand on the trade winds
And the sun on the Amazon
As they push the reline buttons down
With dreamland coming on
Dreamland, dreamland
Dreamland, dreamland
Songwriter: JONI MITCHELL



All comments from YouTube:

Cotictimmy

It gets inside your head - especially as the harmonies build up. I bought this album back in the 1980's and initially didn't like this track - I Love it Now.

AppleCorp3

I'd always heard that this was a "weird" album...or too experimental but I soon found that what "they" found as weird or experimental was not quite as extreme as they said.  Maybe because at that point I'd accepted tracks like "Tomorrow Never Knows" as commonplace, I found this album not nearly as left field as reviews said.  It's brilliant!  It's probably my favorite of her albums.  Glad to see from YouTube that i'm not in the minority.

Vincente

I whole heartily agree AppleCorp3! I too grew up with "Tomorrow Never Knows" and other songs and artist that pushed the envelope of the sixties and seventies. That is what an artist does. Too bad that this album ended up in the cut-out bin. It was an insult to Joni and her genius.

erflingnot

Another masterpiece! I had it on vinyl from the day it dropped!!!

Froggie Morton

This album unfortunately had a poor initial reception largely because it followed three incredible albums -- Court and Spark, The Hissing of Summer Lawns and Hejira -- three albums that many (including myself) considered Mitchell's best work ever. (The folkie purists maintain Blue was her best.) By comparison with its predecessors, Don Juan seemed to lack something and, yes, was dismissed as "experimental". It took many years for its unorthodox brilliance to become appreciated. Having said that, it is perhaps a bit, um, spotty...

threeby8887

I just bought a copy of this CD.  Hey, I like weird albums, what can I say?

AppleCorp3

It didn't fit in the box, so it got a label.  This one went straight into my iPod...and it sits well along with the rest of the stuff I listen to.

1 More Replies...

Gany Meade

One of the best and most exotic of Joni Mitchell's songs. Reminds me of of island travels. Love it.

HEYTOOTS

It was this song that began my passion for PERCUSSION instruments!  My neighbors must've thought I was nuts, playing this over and over.  Chaka Khan in the background!

Steven Haywood

A great song with great percussion too.
😛cttgaegoaktd

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