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".
Shiny Toys
Joni Mitchell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shiny toys--right on time
Shiny toys
I'm reading people rags in the checkout lane
Look, here's a hunk--here's a honey
Celebrated people and their claims to fame
Here's a boy and his money
Ratepoll games
Whatever makes you "Yahoo"
Whatever makes your time feel satisfyin'
Whatever makes you
"Oh I'm so excited"
Whatever makes you feel like you're right on time
Party night
Good bands all over town
(good, good, good)
Mega lights and supersonic sounds
(good, good, good)
Flashy boys and girls that really play
(good, good, good)
Shiny toys, when it's over don't you
hate to have to put your toys away
Shiny toys "I love my Porsche"
Shiny toys
Shiny toys "I love my Porsche"
Shiny toys
Simple joys
Walking on the beach at the end of the day
Between the sand and the seagulls
Watching the glorious sun setting on the bay
Here comes a boy and his beagle
Walking with a man in a toupee
And a man with his head shaved
Whatever makes you "mm, mm"
Whatever makes your time feel satisfyin'
Whatever makes you "mm, mm"
Whatever makes you feel like you're right on time
Party night
Super bands all over town
(good, good, good)
Super lights and supersonic sounds
(good, good, good)
Flashy boys and girls that really play
(good, good, good)
Shiny toys, when it's over
Don't you hate to have to put your toys away
Shiny toys, right on time
Shiny toys, right on time
Shiny toys, right on time
Joni Mitchell's "Shiny Toys" is a commentary on our collective obsession with material goods and momentary pleasures. The song opens with the phrase "Shiny toys--right on time," a reference to the constant influx of new and shiny objects and experiences that both distract and entice us. Mitchell goes on to describe the ways in which we consume celebrity culture, with its emphasis on wealth and fame, as well as the parties and entertainment that serve to distract us from our dissatisfaction and ennui. Ultimately, however, the chorus reminds us that whatever makes us feel momentarily satisfied and content is ultimately fleeting and does not provide lasting fulfillment.
There is a rich irony in the way the song utilizes the phrase "right on time." Though it could be interpreted as celebratory or enthusiastic, the way it is uttered in the chorus makes it sound more like a platitude, one that we tell ourselves to mask our deeper anxieties and insecurities. The "shiny toys" that we cling to may be temporarily exciting, but they ultimately fail to provide lasting joy or contentment. In this sense, "Shiny Toys" is a politically charged song that critiques the culture of consumerism and the emptiness that comes with the constant pursuit of fleeting pleasures.
Line by Line Meaning
Shiny toys--right on time
New shiny objects are always coming out at exactly the right moment
Shiny toys
Repeating the phrase to emphasize the allure of these objects
I'm reading people rags in the checkout lane
Looking at tabloids while waiting in line for a mundane task
Look, here's a hunk--here's a honey
Pictures of attractive people in tabloids
Celebrated people and their claims to fame
Tabloids featuring famous people and their latest accomplishments
Here's a boy and his money
A young, wealthy celebrity being showcased in the press
And pictures of the winners in the latest Ratepoll games
Pictures of winners in popularity contests
Whatever makes you "Yahoo"
Whatever gets you excited and happy
Whatever makes your time feel satisfyin'
Whatever makes you feel fulfilled
Whatever makes you "Oh I'm so excited"
Whatever excites you
Whatever makes you feel like you're right on time
Whatever gives you a sense of being current and in-the-know
Party night
Referring to a fun evening out
Good bands all over town
Great musical acts playing everywhere
(good, good, good)
Repeating to emphasize how good the bands are
Mega lights and supersonic sounds
Exciting visual and audio experiences
Flashy boys and girls that really play
People who are fashionable and talented
Shiny toys, when it's over don't you
hate to have to put your toys away
Referring to the feeling of disappointment when a fun experience comes to an end
Shiny toys "I love my Porsche"
Referencing expensive, shiny items that make people feel important
Simple joys
Referring to the pleasures of everyday life
Walking on the beach at the end of the day
A peaceful, calming moment to enjoy nature
Between the sand and the seagulls
Observing the wildlife on the beach
Watching the glorious sun setting on the bay
Enjoying the beauty of a sunset over the water
Here comes a boy and his beagle
An idyllic scene of a boy and his dog walking on the beach
Walking with a man in a toupee
A comical moment in contrast to the natural surroundings
And a man with his head shaved
Another quirky, unexpected detail in the scene
Whatever makes you "mm, mm"
Whatever gives you pleasure and enjoyment
Super bands all over town
Amazing musical performances happening everywhere
Super lights and supersonic sounds
Exciting sensory experiences
Shiny toys, when it's over
Don't you hate to have to put your toys away
Repeating the earlier sentiment of disappointment when the fun stops
Shiny toys--right on time
Repeating the opening line to bring the song full circle
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Charlie Jervis
A few words on SHINY TOYS:
Shiny toys, right on time
Shiny toys, right on time
Shiny toys
I'm reading people rags in the checkout lane
Look, here's a hunk, here's a honey
Celebrated people and their claims to fame
Here's a boy and his money
And pictures of the winners in the latest
Ratepoll games
Whatever makes you "yahoo"
Whatever makes your time feel satisfyin'
Whatever makes you
"Oh, I'm so excited"
Whatever makes you feel like you're right on time
Party night
Good bands all over town
(Good, good, good)
Mega lights and supersonic sounds
(Good, good, good)
Flashy boys and girls that really play
(Good, good, good)
Shiny toys, when it's over don't you
Hate to have to put your toys away
Shiny toys, "I love my Porsche"
Shiny toys
Shiny toys, "I love my Porsche"
Shiny toys
Simple joys
Walking on the beach at the end of the day
Between the sand and the seagulls
Watching the glorious sun setting on the bay
Here comes a boy and his beagle
Walking with a man in a toque
And a man with his head shaved
Whatever makes you "mm, mm"
Whatever makes your time feel satisfyin'
Whatever makes you "mm, mm"
Whatever makes you feel like you're right on time
Party night
Super bands all over town
(Good, good, good)
Super lights and supersonic sounds
(Good, good, good)
Flashy boys and girls that really play
(Good, good, good)
Shiny toys, when it's over
Don't you hate to have to put your toys away
Shiny toys, right on time
Shiny toys, right on time
Shiny toys, right on time
One Woman and Some Songs
“Dog Eat Dog” was such a great album. I still have it, and I play it on my old turntable. Can still smell the vinyl after all these years. No one can write a lyric like Joni Mitchell. And her voice, always a pleasure to listen to.
JimSVoit
This album is so underrated!!!!
Duda Gorter
Indeed it is! :)
K J McIndoe
Bought it in 1985 and lent it to a friend who was big on synth bands. He loved it! It's one of her best, no question.
Chris Blower
Not by me.
Steven Haywood
I agree! I did not like it too much back in the 80's, but love it now!
😛cttgaegoaktd
David Mayhew
I liked this album a lot. Nobody else did. Why? It was so not what people at the time wanted to hear. A critique of modern society. It's still rings true. More now than ever.
jmiller05
Cynical and joyous simultaneously. The genius that is Joni.
Geoff McLain
Just think of some of the musical giants Joni has played with. Metheny, Jaco, etc. Have you ever seen her artwork. Here is a woman that did more in 10 years than most people do in a lifetime. My favorite female singer of all time!!!!
Edward Harley
me too. I had the supreme joy of meeting her, here in Vancouver, when she came up to build a house up on the Sunshine Coast..., she literally shone!, she radiated beauty inside and out...LOVE her always...