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".
Song for Sharon
Joni Mitchell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To buy myself a mandolin
And I saw the long white dress of love
On a storefront mannequin
Big boat chuggin' back with a belly full of cars
All for something lacy
Some girl's going to see that dress
And crave that day like crazy
Little Indian kids on a bridge up in Canada
They can balance and they can climb
Like their fathers before them
They'll walk the girders of the Manhattan skyline
Shine your light on me, Miss Liberty
Because as soon as this ferry boat docks
I'm headed to the church
To play Bingo
Fleece me with the gamblers' flocks
I can keep my cool at poker
But I'm a fool when love's at stake
Because I can't conceal emotion
What I'm feeling's always written on my face
There's a gypsy down on Bleecker Street
I went in to see her as a kind of joke
And she lit a candle for my love luck
And eighteen bucks went up in smoke
Sharon, I left my man
At a North Dakota junction
And I came out to the Big Apple here
To face the dream's malfunction
Love's a repetitious danger
You'd think I'd be accustomed to
Well, I do accept the changes
At least better than I used to do
A woman I knew just drowned herself
The well was deep and muddy
She was just shaking off futility
Or punishing somebody
My friends were calling up all day yesterday
All emotions and abstractions
It seems we all live so close to that line
And so far from satisfaction
Dora says, "have children"
Mama and Betsy say, "find yourself a charity"
Help the needy and the crippled or put some time into ecology
Well, there's a wide, wide world of noble causes
And lovely landscapes to discover
But all I really wanna do right now
Is find another lover
When we were kids in Maidstone, Sharon
I went to every wedding in that little town
To see the tears and the kisses
And the pretty lady in the white lace wedding gown
And walking home on the railroad tracks
Or swinging on the playground swing
Love stimulated my illusions
More than anything
And when I went skating after Golden Reggie
You know it was white lace I was chasing
Chasing dreams
Mama's nylons underneath my cowgirl jeans
He showed me first you get the kisses
And then you get the tears
But the ceremony of the bells and lace
Still veils this reckless fool here
Now there are twenty-nine skaters on Wolmann rink
Circling in singles and in pairs
In this vigorous anonymity
A blank face at the window stares
And stares and stares and stares and stares
And the power of reason
And the flowers of deep feelings
Seem to serve me
Only to deceive me
Sharon, you've got a husband
And a family and a farm
I've got the apple of temptation
And a diamond snake around my arm
You still have your music
And I've still got my eyes on the land and the sky
You sing for your friends and your family
I'll walk green pastures by and by
The lyrics to Joni Mitchell's "Song for Sharon" are a contemplation on the idea of love and its influence on life. The song is a collection of different short stories, and each verse covers a different topic or experience from Mitchell's past. The opening lines of the song talk about Mitchell's trip to Staten Island to buy a mandolin and her encounter with a mannequin wearing a long white dress. It's a reflection on the nature of love and how it can be desirable and yet unattainable at the same time.
The following verse takes us to Canada, where Mitchell reflects on the resilience of little Indian kids who can balance and climb, following in their fathers' footsteps, walking the girders of the Manhattan skyline. Mitchell here is comparing their resilience to her own emotional weaknesses when it comes to love. In the third verse, Mitchell talks about how she is a "fool when love's at stake" and how it is difficult for her to conceal her emotions. She visits a gypsy who lights a candle for her "love luck" and eighteen bucks go up in smoke. The final verse talks about Mitchell's friend who just drowned herself, and how everyone seems to be walking on the edge of the line and so far from satisfaction.
Overall, "Song for Sharon" is a contemplative piece that looks back on Mitchell's past and reflects on the nature of love, life, and death. It is a song that captures the essence of Mitchell's unique storytelling style and her ability to create vivid images with her words.
Line by Line Meaning
I went to Staten Island, Sharon
To buy myself a mandolin
And I saw the long white dress of love
On a storefront mannequin
I went on a journey to Staten Island in search of a mandolin, and there I came across a captivating representation of love through the sight of a white dress adorning a mannequin on display.
Big boat chuggin' back with a belly full of cars
All for something lacy
Some girl's going to see that dress
And crave that day like crazy
I observed a large vessel carrying an exorbitant amount of cars, all so a single girl can wear something lacy, signifying the madness of love and its ability to drive individuals to extremes.
Little Indian kids on a bridge up in Canada
They can balance and they can climb
Like their fathers before them
They'll walk the girders of the Manhattan skyline
Shine your light on me, Miss Liberty
I saw young indigenous children on a Canadian bridge, displaying remarkable skills of balance and climbing akin to their ancestral lineage. Their ambition is to someday walk the girders of Manhattan skyline, signifying the beauty of ambition and hope.
Because as soon as this ferry boat docks
I'm headed to the church
To play Bingo
Fleece me with the gamblers' flocks
Upon reaching my destination in the ferry ride, I plan to visit a church and partake in a game of Bingo, opening myself up to the likelihood of being taken advantage of by the more experienced players.
I can keep my cool at poker
But I'm a fool when love's at stake
Because I can't conceal emotion
What I'm feeling's always written on my face
While maintaining a level head in a game of poker, I become irrational when love is involved since my emotions are transparent and incapable of being concealed.
There's a gypsy down on Bleecker Street
I went in to see her as a kind of joke
And she lit a candle for my love luck
And eighteen bucks went up in smoke
At Bleecker Street, I visited a gypsy out of jest and had her light a candle for my love luck, resulting in the monetary loss of eighteen dollars with no personal improvement.
Sharon, I left my man
At a North Dakota junction
And I came out to the Big Apple here
To face the dream's malfunction
I left my partner at a junction in North Dakota and came to the Big Apple to contend with the malfunction of reality compared to the constructs of my dreams.
Love's a repetitious danger
You'd think I'd be accustomed to
Well, I do accept the changes
At least better than I used to do
Love is a danger that repeats itself, although I should be familiar with it by now. Nevertheless, I acknowledge and accept the changes love may bring more willingly than I have in the past.
A woman I knew just drowned herself
The well was deep and muddy
She was just shaking off futility
Or punishing somebody
A woman I was acquainted with had drowned herself in a deep, murky well, either as a way of ridding herself of hopelessness, or as a means of retribution against someone else.
My friends were calling up all day yesterday
All emotions and abstractions
It seems we all live so close to that line
And so far from satisfaction
My friends were calling me the entire previous day, caught up in a state of overwhelming emotions and abstract concepts. More often than not, people exist close to the boundary separating fulfillment and dissatisfaction.
Dora says, "have children"
Mama and Betsy say, "find yourself a charity"
Help the needy and the crippled or put some time into ecology
Well, there's a wide, wide world of noble causes
And lovely landscapes to discover
But all I really wanna do right now
Is find another lover
Dora advises me to have children, while Mama, and Betsy suggest I seek charitable pursuits, such as aiding the indigent or ecology. While there are various initiatives to pursue and natural beauties to explore, my current desire is to find new love.
When we were kids in Maidstone, Sharon
I went to every wedding in that little town
To see the tears and the kisses
And the pretty lady in the white lace wedding gown
And walking home on the railroad tracks
Or swinging on the playground swing
Love stimulated my illusions
More than anything
Growing up in Maidstone, I attended every wedding in our small town to observe the spectacle of both emotional and physical intimacy. The embodiment of love in the form of a bride in a white lace wedding gown, combined with the thrill of walking on the tracks or playing on the swing, encouraged my imaginative illusions more than anything else.
And when I went skating after Golden Reggie
You know it was white lace I was chasing
Chasing dreams
Mama's nylons underneath my cowgirl jeans
He showed me first you get the kisses
And then you get the tears
But the ceremony of the bells and lace
Still veils this reckless fool here
When I pursued Golden Reggie while skating, it's the dream of the white-laced wedding gown that I was chasing. Pursuing my passionate dreams, I would dress in my cowgirl jeans with Mama's nylons underneath. He showed me that love first brings pleasure and then despair. Yet, the excitement of the bells and lace still fools me.
Now there are twenty-nine skaters on Wolmann rink
Circling in singles and in pairs
In this vigorous anonymity
A blank face at the window stares
And stares and stares and stares and stares
And the power of reason
And the flowers of deep feelings
Seem to serve me
Only to deceive me
On Wolmann rink, twenty-nine skaters are skating in both pairs and singles, leading to a vigorous state of anonymous motion. A blank face stares at the window, repetitively peering out. The flowers of deep feelings and the power of reasoning serve as deceiving agents, misleading me.
Sharon, you've got a husband
And a family and a farm
I've got the apple of temptation
And a diamond snake around my arm
You still have your music
And I've still got my eyes on the land and the sky
You sing for your friends and your family
I'll walk green pastures by and by
Sharon, you already have a spouse, a family, and a farm while I, on the other hand, have the sinful apple of temptation and a diamond snake around my arm. You still possess your music, while I'm observing the land and the sky. You can sing for your loved ones, and I'll be traversing lush pastures shortly.
Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Joni Mitchell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@leandrolopezkirschbaum7167
I went to Staten Island.
To buy myself a mandolin
And I saw the long white dress of love
On a storefront mannequin
Big boat chuggin' back with a belly full of cars,
All for something lacy
Some girl's going to see that dress
And crave that day like crazy
Little Indian kids on a bridge up in Canada
They can balance and they can climb
Like their fathers before them
They'll walk the girders of the Manhattan skyline
Shine your light on me Miss Liberty
Because as soon as this ferry boat docks
I'm headed to the church
To play Bingo
Fleece me with the gamblers' flocks
I can keep my cool at poker
But I'm a fool when love's at stake
Because I can't conceal emotion
What I'm feeling's always written on my face
There's a gypsy down on Bleecker Street
I went in to see her as a kind of joke
And she lit a candle for my love luck
And eighteen bucks went up in smoke
Sharon, I left my man
At a North Dakota junction
And I came out to the "Big Apple" here
To face the dream's malfunction
Love's a repetitious danger
You'd think I'd be accustomed to
Well, I do accept the changes
At least better than I used to do
A woman I knew just drowned herself
The well was deep and muddy
She was just shaking off futility
Or punishing somebody
My friends were calling up all day yesterday
All emotions and abstractions
It seems we all live so close to that line
And so far from satisfaction
Dora says, "Have children!"
Mama and Betsy say-"Find yourself a charity."
Help the needy and the crippled or put some time into Ecology."
Well, there's a wide wide world of noble causes
And lovely landscapes to discover
But all I really want right now
Is, find another lover
When we were kids in Maidstone, Sharon
I went to every wedding in that little town
To see the tears and the kisses
And the pretty lady in the white lace wedding gown
And walking home on the railroad tracks
Or swinging on the playground swing
Love stimulated my illusions
More than anything
And when I went skating after Golden Reggie
You know it was white lace I was chasing
Chasing dreams
Mama's nylons underneath my cowgirl jeans
He showed me first you get the kisses
And then you get the tears
But the ceremony of the bells and lace
Still veils this reckless fool here
Now there are 29 skaters on Wolmann rink
Circling in singles and in pairs
In this vigorous anonymity
A blank face at the window stares and stares and stares and stares
And the power of reason
And the flowers of deep feeling
Seem to serve me
Only to deceive me
Sharon you've got a husband
And a family and a farm
I've got the apple of temptation
And a diamond snake around my arm
But you still have your music
And I've still got my eyes on the land and the sky
You sing for your friends and your family
I'll walk green pastures by and by
@jimkiley5277
I just never want this song to end. I wish she just kept writing this song til it went on for hours. I would listen to anything she writes nonstop and just get lost in her stories.
@melodiefrances3898
"18 bucks went up in smoke!"
One of the many perfect lines from this masterpiece.
@EphemeralProductions
for some reason that part of the song, with the gypsy and that line, has always amused me and i've found it quirky. LOL even back in the mid 90's when i first heard this, I thought to myself "18 bucks to light a damn candle?! that's ridiculous even for New York!" ahaha!
@alexhunterklesta
Hejira as an album is always the one by Joni that I handle with the utmost care, sort of a âbreak glass in case of emergencyâ, extremely potent, ayahuasca-style therapeutic device that I know will make me touch the deepest areas of my soul. Iâve owned this album for over 30 years and it always has the same, deeply cathartic, soothing-yet-troubling magical effect on me, yet with a different process every time. Like putting salt on the wounds of the heart and of the soul. Song for Sharon has, notwithstanding its utter melancholy, the highest of vibratory energies of the album, I find, as songs like Coyote, Amelia, Hejira and Refuge of the Roads on the other hand simply spin me out of control into the most raw and primordial realms of my being. Song for Sharon is an absolute masterpiece, not only of music, of poetry but also of holistic soul searching and self knowledge. What a wonderful gift the Universe has given us by inspiring beautiful Joni to grace us with this blessing... forever thankful ð
@nursebridgie
ððð
@stephenbarry5196
Alex. You yourself are a poet. You hit a home run with that heads-on concise journey that Joni takes us on. A Strange Boy fits right in there too,don't you think? You're a brilliant observationalist. THANK YOU. Stephen Barry
@alexhunterklesta
@@stephenbarry5196 Thank YOU dear Stephen for your kind words and for taking the time to write this! âºïž I guess listening to Joni all these years might have sharpened my poetic bone just a little bit? ð And youâre absolutely right about A Strange Boy⊠I suppose it would be the masculine counterpart to Song for Sharon?.. But what to say about this album, other than it being the most interesting and uncanny collection of snapshots of Joniâs life.. Like the major arcana of her personal Tarot set?.. A quick read of the Wiki article regarding the story of how this album came about, after driving cross-country eastwards with two men (wink wink) and driving back West alone, informs us on her mental process at the time and all the encoded emotion she crams into this album.. I heard it for the first time when I was 17 and wasnât sure what had hit me back then.. But being a Scorpio like Joni, I had the intuitive feeling that Hejira would stay with me throughout the years, deciphering it little by little as time went by⊠Itâs the gift that just keeps on giving⊠over and over and over again ð
@stephenbarry5196
@Alex Klesta. Just got up for a glass of water and I read Your reply. I forgot about that cross-country trip. What fun. Double wink back. Joni has a way of connecting people of all kinds. Her personal life,her songs, what we get from those songs and how they affect us. You sound like a writer yourself. Me, I've been writing ever since COURT and SPARK. THANKS to Joni. Write me anytime Stephen Barry.
@air9music
It's amazing to find others who have this reaction to this album. It's like some umbilical connection that this album makes me feel to some strange realm (a past life?). I'll eternally fail to describe what the album means to me.
@1920jenny
I can only imagine how this song would have affected me if I was around when it came out. My name is Sharon and I live in Manhattan, so not only is the music itself nostalgic in its own way, but it adds an extra element of me being drawn in by this song.