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".
Fiction
Joni Mitchell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't know
Which way to go?
The options multiply
The choices grow
Which way to go?
What should I buy?
What should I be?
(Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief)
So much comes at you
Too much for me
Which way to go?
Elusive dreams and vague desires
Fanned to fiery needs by golden boys
In ad empires
Fiction
Truth
Fiction
Truth
Fiction
Truth
Fiction
Fiction of the boob tube
Fiction of the papers
Fiction of the image and the image makers
Fiction of the magazines
Fiction of the movies
Fiction of the "Buy me," "Watch me," "Listen to me"
I can't decide
I'm so confused
Which way to go?
I'm being useful here
I'm being used
Which way to go?
Some line gets drawn
What line is this?
Which way to go?
Could be a threshold or a precipice
Which way to go?
Elusive dreams and vague desires
Fanned to fiery needs by sexy boys
In flaming T.V. fires
Fiction
Truth
Fiction
Truth
Fiction
Truth
Fiction
Fiction of obedience
Fiction of rebellion
Fiction of the goody-goody and the hellion
Fiction of destroyers
Fiction of preservers
Fiction of peacemakers and shit disturbers
Fiction of the moralist
Fiction of the nihilist
Fiction of the innovator and the stylist
Fiction of the killjoy
Fiction of the charmer
Fiction of the clay feet and the shining armour
Fiction of the declaimers
Fiction of the rebukers
Fiction of the pro and the no nukers
Fiction of the gizmo
Fiction of the data
Fiction of the this is this and that is that ah!
I can't decide
I don't know
Which way to go?
The more you learn
The less you know
Which way to go?
Some follow blind
And never know
Which way to go?
To lead you need some place to go
Which way to go?
Elusive dreams and vague desires
Fanned to fiery needs by deadly deeds
In falling empires
Fiction
Truth
Fiction
Truth
Fiction
Truth
Fiction
Fiction of the diplomat
Fiction of the critic
Fiction of the Pollyanna and the cynic
Fiction of the coward
Fiction of the hero
Fiction of the monuments reduced to zero
In Joni Mitchell's song Fiction, the lyrics convey a sense of confusion and indecision. The singer is overwhelmed by the options and choices presented to them, wondering which path to take in life. As they consider different possibilities, the influence of media and societal expectations become apparent. Mitchell references the "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief" stereotype, recognizing the pressure to conform to certain career paths.
The repeated phrase "Fiction, Truth" contributes to the song's theme of uncertainty. Mitchell seems to be questioning what is real and what is manufactured by the media. The lyrics mention "Fiction of the magazines, Fiction of the movies" and "Fiction of the image makers," suggesting that the singer is aware of the constructed realities presented by these mediums. The various types of "Fictions" listed in the later verses seem to represent different societal roles or philosophies that one could adopt.
Overall, Fiction seems to be a commentary on the difficulty of navigating modern society and maintaining a sense of individuality. The pressure to conform to predetermined roles or ideals can be overwhelming and lead to a feeling of being lost or unsure of oneself. The prevalence of "Fiction" in various forms adds to the confusion, blurring the lines between reality and the constructed versions of it presented by media and society.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't decide
I'm having trouble making a decision.
I don't know
I lack knowledge about the options I have.
Which way to go?
What path should I choose?
The options multiply
The number of choices available is increasing.
The choices grow
The number of options is expanding.
What should I buy?
What should I spend my money on?
What should I be?
What career or identity should I pursue?
(Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief)
These are examples of different career paths one could pursue.
So much comes at you
There is a lot of information and options presented to me.
Too much for me
I feel overwhelmed by the amount of choices presented.
Elusive dreams and vague desires
Ambitious goals that are difficult to define concretely.
Fanned to fiery needs by golden boys
The goals become stronger desires when advertised by attractive individuals.
In ad empires
Through advertising industries.
Fiction
Untrue beliefs or stories.
Truth
Factual and real ideas or stories.
Fiction of the boob tube
Untrue stories presented on television.
Fiction of the papers
False information shown in newspapers.
Fiction of the image and the image makers
Unrealistic pictures or stories created by those who manipulate images.
Fiction of the magazines
Untrue stories found in magazines.
Fiction of the movies
False stories presented through films.
Fiction of the "Buy me," "Watch me," "Listen to me"
Unrealistic beliefs presented by businesses through marketing.
I'm so confused
I am uncertain and baffled by my choices.
I'm being useful here
I am providing assistance to others.
I'm being used
Others are taking advantage of me.
Some line gets drawn
A boundary or limit is established.
What line is this?
What limit is being established?
Could be a threshold or a precipice
It could be an important or dangerous limit.
Some follow blind
Some people make choices without thinking critically about them.
And never know
They do not consider the outcomes of their decisions.
To lead you need some place to go
For someone to lead, they must have a direction in which to lead their followers.
The more you learn
The more knowledge you acquire.
The less you know
The more you realize how much you do not know.
Elusive dreams and vague desires
Unclear and difficult-to-define goals.
Fanned to fiery needs by sexy boys
Goals that are pushed to seem more important by attractive individuals.
In flaming T.V. fires
Presented through television programs.
Fiction of obedience
False beliefs about blindly following authority.
Fiction of rebellion
False beliefs about how and when to rebel against authority.
Fiction of the goody-goody and the hellion
False beliefs about good vs. bad behavior.
Fiction of destroyers
False beliefs about people who destroy or damage things.
Fiction of preservers
False beliefs about people who protect or save things.
Fiction of peacemakers and shit disturbers
False beliefs about people who promote peace or those who cause chaos.
Fiction of the moralist
False beliefs about moral thinking.
Fiction of the nihilist
False beliefs about how morality is pointless.
Fiction of the innovator and the stylist
False beliefs about creativity and style.
Fiction of the killjoy
False beliefs about how to have fun or enjoy life.
Fiction of the charmer
False beliefs about how to attract or keep people in one's life.
Fiction of the clay feet and the shining armour
False beliefs about others who seem heroic or powerful.
Fiction of the declaimers
False beliefs about people who speak out or make bold statements.
Fiction of the rebukers
False beliefs about people who criticize or condemn others.
Fiction of the pro and the no nukers
False beliefs about nuclear energy or its supporters/opponents.
Fiction of the gizmo
False beliefs about technology or gadgets.
Fiction of the data
False beliefs about statistics or information.
Fiction of the this is this and that is that ah!
False beliefs about seeing things clearly and concisely.
The less you know
The more you realize how little knowledge you possess.
Fanned to fiery needs by deadly deeds
Desires fueled by potentially harmful actions or outcomes.
In falling empires
During times of social or political decline.
Fiction of the diplomat
False ideas about successful diplomacy.
Fiction of the critic
False beliefs about how to view and judge art or other creative works.
Fiction of the Pollyanna and the cynic
False beliefs about optimistic or pessimistic outlooks.
Fiction of the coward
False beliefs about those who are afraid or hesitant.
Fiction of the hero
False beliefs about heroic or brave qualities.
Fiction of the monuments reduced to zero
False beliefs about the permanence or importance of monuments claimed by history.
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