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".
This Flight Tonight
Joni Mitchell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The lights down there, that's where we'll land
I saw a falling star burn up
Above the Las Vegas sands
It wasn't the one that you gave to me
That night down south between the trailers
Not the early one
That you can wish upon,
That guides in the sailors
Oh star bright, star bright
You've got the lovin' that I like, all right
Turn this crazy bird around
I shouldn't have got on this flight tonight
You got the touch so gentle and sweet
But you've got that look so critical
Now I can't talk to you baby
I get so weak
Sometimes I think love is just mythical
Up there's a heaven
Down there's a town
Blackness everywhere and little lights shine
Oh, blackness, blackness dragging me down
Come on light the candle in this poor heart of mine
Oh star bright, star bright
You've got the lovin' that I like, all right
Turn this crazy bird around
I shouldn't hove got on this flight tonight
I'm drinking sweet champagne
Got the headphones up high
Can't numb you out
Can't drum you out of my mind
They're playing, Goodbye baby, Baby Goodbye,
Ooh, ooh, love is blind
Up go the flaps, down go the wheels
I hope you got your heat turned on baby
I hope they finally fixed your automobile
I hope it's better when we meet again baby
Star bright, star bright
You got the lovin' that I like, all right
Turn this crazy bird around
I shouldn't have got on this flight tonight
The song "This Flight Tonight" by Joni Mitchell describes a flight that the singer is on, which is causing her anxiety and regret. The first verse sets the scene for the flight, as the captain points out the lights where they will land and the singer sees a falling star. She mentions that it wasn't the star that was given to her, which suggests that there is someone waiting for her at the end of her journey.
In the chorus, the singer addresses the star, hoping that it can help her turn around the flight and take her back to the person she loves. She describes the star as having the "lovin' that I like," indicating that it represents her idea of love and comfort.
The second verse speaks to the singer's emotional state while on the flight. She feels both drawn to her lover's touch and critical of their behavior. She is unable to communicate with them, and wonders if love is just a myth. The final lines bring the singer back to the setting of the flight, describing the darkness outside and the hope that a light can be found to guide her.
Overall, "This Flight Tonight" is a deeply emotional song that reflects on love, anxiety, and the desire to return home. The imagery of the flight provides a powerful metaphor for the journey of life, with all its ups and downs.
Line by Line Meaning
Look out the left the captain said
The captain alerted everyone to look out the left side of the airplane.
The lights down there, that's where we'll land
The lights that were visible were pointing out the landing location.
I saw a falling star burn up
The singer caught sight of a falling star burning up in the sky.
Above the Las Vegas sands
The location of the burning star was above the sandy area of Las Vegas.
It wasn't the one that you gave to me
The singer saw a different falling star than the one given to her by her lover.
That night down south between the trailers
The previous falling star was spotted by the singer and her lover while they were down south between the trailers.
Not the early one
The falling star spotted was not the first one that appeared in the sky.
That you can wish upon
The earlier falling star was one that people could make wishes upon.
Not the northern one
The falling star spotted was not the one that guides the sailors from up north.
That guides in the sailors
The previous falling star was the one that guides the sailors on their path.
Oh star bright, star bright
The singer is addressing the star that she saw in the sky.
You've got the lovin' that I like, all right
The star symbolizes the love that the singer desires.
Turn this crazy bird around
The singer regrets getting on the flight and wants to turn around.
I shouldn't have got on this flight tonight
The singer is regretful of her decision to get on the airplane.
You got the touch so gentle and sweet
The singer's lover is gentle and sweet.
But you've got that look so critical
However, the look on her lover's face is critical and judging.
Now I can't talk to you baby
The critical look has made the singer unable to speak to her lover.
I get so weak
The singer is emotionally affected by the critical look.
Sometimes I think love is just mythical
The singer has doubts about the existence of love.
Up there's a heaven
Heaven is located up above.
Down there's a town
A town can be seen below from the airplane.
Blackness everywhere and little lights shine
The darkness of the night is everywhere, but little lights shine through it.
Oh, blackness, blackness dragging me down
The darkness is affecting the singer's mood negatively.
Come on light the candle in this poor heart of mine
The singer is asking for hope to be lit in her sad heart.
I'm drinking sweet champagne
The singer is drinking champagne.
Got the headphones up high
The singer has her headphones turned up loud.
Can't numb you out
Despite trying, the singer can't numb out thoughts of her lover.
Can't drum you out of my mind
Her thoughts of her lover are persistent and can't be removed.
They're playing, Goodbye baby, Baby Goodbye
The audio playing from the headphones is the song 'Goodbye baby, Baby Goodbye'.
Ooh, ooh, love is blind
The singer believes that love can make a person ignore certain flaws or negative aspects.
Up go the flaps, down go the wheels
The airplane's flaps go up while the wheels go down, indicating that they are about to land.
I hope you got your heat turned on baby
The singer is hoping that her lover's heat is turned on to keep them warm.
I hope they finally fixed your automobile
The singer hopes that her lover's car is now fixed.
I hope it's better when we meet again baby
The singer hopes that their next meeting will be better than their current situation.
Star bright, star bright
The singer addresses the star once again.
You got the lovin' that I like, all right
The star still symbolizes the love that the singer desires.
Turn this crazy bird around
The singer repeats her desire to turn the airplane around.
I shouldn't have got on this flight tonight
The singer repeats her regret of getting on the airplane.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Joni Mitchell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind