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".
You Turn Me On I'm A Radio
Joni Mitchell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a dark cloud above you
Dial in the number
Who's bound to love you
Oh honey you turn me on
I'm a radio
I'm a country station
I'm a wild wood flower
Waving for you
Broadcasting tower
Waving for you
And I'm sending you out
This signal here
I hope you can pick it up
Loud and clear
I know you don't like weak women
You get bored so quick
And you don't like strong women
'Cause they're hip to your tricks
It's been dirty for dirty
Down the line
But you know
I come when you whistle
When you're loving and kind
If you've got too many doubts
If there's no good reception for me
Then tune me out, 'cause honey
Who needs the static
It hurts the head
And you wind up cracking
And the day goes dismal
From "Breakfast Barney"
To the sign-off prayer
What a sorry face you get to wear
I'm gonna tell you again now
If you're still listening there
If you're driving into town
With a dark cloud above you
Dial in the number
Who's bound to love you
If you're lying on the beach
With the transistor going
Kick off the sand flies honey
The love's still flowing
If your head says forget it
But your heart's still smoking
Call me at the station
The lines are open
Joni Mitchell's "You Turn Me On I'm A Radio" is a playful love song which uses the metaphor of a radio station to describe the singer's love for her partner. She describes herself as a "country station" and a "little bit corny" and also as a "wild wood flower" representing the different elements of her personality that make up her love for him. She urges him to tune in to her station and listen to the signal she's sending, hoping he can pick it up "loud and clear."
The song also touches upon the insecurities and vulnerabilities that come with being in a relationship. The singer recognizes her partner's tendencies to get bored easily and take advantage of weaker women. However, she promises to always come running when he needs her, and she asks him to turn her off if he doesn't need her signal anymore so she doesn't become background noise causing him more harm than good.
The song's lyrics can be interpreted as both a declaration of love and as a warning to the singer's partner. While the metaphor of the radio station is light and fun, it conveys a deeper message about the complicated nature of love and relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Driving into town
Beginning a journey with a mental burden
With a dark cloud above you
Feeling distressed, unhappy or negative about something
Dial in the number
Reach out to somebody in need of support or love
Who's bound to love you
Someone who is capable of providing the love and care one needs
Oh honey you turn me on
Expressing an eagerness for being loved or adored by someone
I'm a radio
Assuming an identity of a radio - as a medium of affection
I'm a country station
A metaphor for providing comfort, soothing emotions, and warmth
I'm a little bit corny
Acknowledging the simplicity of expression and emotional honesty
I'm a wild wood flower
A symbol of untamed natural beauty, unyielding spirit and freedom
Waving for you
Signaling to someone to tune in to the radio station of love
Broadcasting tower
A beacon that sends out the signals of love and care to its listeners
And I'm sending you out
Outpouring of love and concern to the intended recipient
This signal here
The message that tells about how much the person is loved and valued
I hope you can pick it up
Expectation of being heard and understood by the receiver
Loud and clear
The clarity and strength of the message being sent out
I know you don't like weak women
Awareness of the listener's preferences and expectations from a partner
You get bored so quick
The lack of patience or attention span of the recipient
And you don't like strong women
The apprehension of the listener towards independent or assertive women
'Cause they're hip to your tricks
Awareness of the listener's motives and ulterior intentions
It's been dirty for dirty
The history of the relationship that suffered from secrecy and dishonesty
Down the line
In the course of time, over a period
But you know
The partner's realization of being manipulated or taken for granted
I come when you whistle
Being responsive and caring, yet acknowledging the need for mutual respect
When you're loving and kind
Reciprocating feelings of love and care with equal intensity and commitment
If you've got too many doubts
If the listener is hesitant or unsure about the relationship with the sender
If there's no good reception for me
If the sender is not being heard, understood, or reciprocated for their feelings
Then tune me out, 'cause honey
Accepting the listener's choice of not responding or reciprocating to the feelings
Who needs the static
The feeling of discomfort or negative emotions caused due to lack of reciprocation
It hurts the head
The stress, anxiety, and mental exhaustion caused by unrequited love
And you wind up cracking
The emotional breakdown caused by a feeling of being unheard or unloved
And the day goes dismal
The negative impact of unrequited love on daily life
From 'Breakfast Barney'
Starting the day with a heavy heart and bleak outlook
To the sign-off prayer
Closing the day with a similar sense of despair and negativity
What a sorry face you get to wear
The impact of unrequited love as reflected in the listener's demeanor and emotions
I'm gonna tell you again now
Reiteration of the message of affection and care, despite being unheard or unreciprocated
If you're still listening there
The hope of being heard and understood by the listener
If you're driving into town
If the listener is going through a tough time or feeling negative about something
With a dark cloud above you
The cause of distress or negativity in the listener's life
Dial in the number
Reach out to the radio station of love and care
Who's bound to love you
Find acceptance and affection in the arms of someone who values and cherishes you
If you're lying on the beach
Enjoying the tranquility and peace amidst the chaos of life
With the transistor going
Listening to music, enjoying the breeze and scenic beauty of the beach
Kick off the sand flies honey
Shake off the negative emotions, let go of the stress and anxiety
The love's still flowing
The constant flow of love and care from the sender, irrespective of the listener's response
If your head says forget it
If the listener is resigned to the idea of not being loved, reciprocated or understood
But your heart's still smoking
The impact of unrequited love on the listener's emotions, despite trying to suppress them
Call me at the station
Reaching out to the radio station of love and affection
The lines are open
The door to love, care and affection is always open
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Joni Mitchell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@marieblue
Despite being one of the most revered and influential artists of her time, Joni Mitchell’s prodigious output contains very few chart hits. “You Turn Me On I’m a Radio” (1972) was her effort to get a hit.
Clocking in at 2:40, the tune contains a 19-second intro, giving DJs time to talk it up (and mention that most singular title!). The fade-out was also accommodating so they could backsell it.
The songstress claimed : “I decided there were some ways to make a hit, increase the chances. DJs have to like it, so you put a long part at the beginning and the end so the DJs can talk over it. Take a tender situation and translate it into commonly appealing songs […].”
This is quite an unusual piece in that it is sung from the perspective of a radio, explaining all the ways it can please listeners. The station […] knows what you want to hear. Of course, the radio station could be viewed as a metaphor for a person who is also looking to please❕
Graham Nash, David Crosby and Neil Young all took part in the recording sessions, but only Nash’s harmonica part was used on the final release. 💜📻💙
@thomasgreaney2945
Lyrics:
If you're driving into town
With a dark cloud above you
Dial in the number
Who's bound to love you
Oh honey you turn me on
I'm a radio
I'm a country station
I'm a little bit corny
I'm a wildwood flower
Waving for you
Broadcasting tower
Waving for you
And I'm sending you out
This signal here
I hope you can pick it up
Loud and clear
I know you don't like weak women
You get bored so quick
And you don't like strong women
'Cause they're hip to your tricks
It's been dirty for dirty
Down the line
But you know
I come when you whistle
When you're loving and kind
But if you've got too many doubts
If there's no good reception for me
Then tune me out, 'cause honey
Who needs the static
It hurts the head
And you wind up cracking
And the day goes dismal
From "Breakfast Barney"
To the sign-off prayer
What a sorry face you get to wear
I'm going to tell you again now
If you're still listening there
If you're driving into town
With a dark cloud above you
Dial in the number
Who's bound to love you
If you're lying on the beach
With the transistor going
Kick off the sandflies honey
The love's still flowing
If your head says forget it
But your heart's still smoking
Call me at the station
The lines are open
@bouhhh91
who's here after Prix de Lausanne 2024? :D
@leecherry7882
Paloma brought me here :)
@evyalley
I love the line “you don’t like weak women, you get bored so quick. And you don’t like strong women cause they’re hip to your tricks.” The phrasing and meaning are just awesome ❤
@grokeffer6226
I Love this song. I hope Joni is feeling well today. ❤🌹
@fairygodmomma2313
Cheer and bliss for her to savor, 🤗
@kviz1111
❤me too what a original beautiful ❤️ soul
@sandyallen5743
You know Joni was a lover..over the moon, and then back to earth, as a singing angel. She has lived in my heart for 46 years. I'm 72 years young because of Joni.
@artchem1
I remember back in the mid 70’s by our local radio station said “ call in if you can sing a song, A cappella “
I choose this one, and they let me sing you entire song, with I said as my intro” this is for my favourite Folk Singer Joni Mitchell, I love you Joni ~ Thank you! Then began singing “ You Turn me on I’m a Radio “
You’re so beautiful and I was so happy to see you perform at the Newport Folk Festival. Welcome Back, our Beloved, Joni Mitchell ❤️
@fairygodmomma2313
Those lyrics sketch a picture as beautiful as Lady Joni's painting, and touch it off with her music. Seriously genius.
@rickydink911
This song was playing in the birthing room when my son Max was born. I knew then he would be a cool kid. He still is at 32 years.