New Recording 9
Mitchell Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Late weekend night and I'm at the Bojar Grill
I got decisions to be made between lager and ale
When through the kitchen door come the dancing girl
Then everything on the menu mattered

Oh, the thoughts in my head, oh if she knew
I hope she'll nod at this drunken bar slob
'Cause I'm ready, willing and able
Yes, I'm ready, willing and able

Over to the jukebox, I staggered
For a love song to scatter my body before her
Didn't have change and I lost my damn brains
So I started humming in-a-godda-da-vida





I'll pay the bar tab and even the cab
Off to the hotel we'll wallow

Overall Meaning

"New Recording 9" is a song by Joni Mitchell that tells the story of a man who is at a bar trying to decide between lager and ale when he sees a dancing girl come out of the kitchen. Suddenly, everything on the menu doesn't matter anymore. He is filled with thoughts of her and hopes that she will be interested in him, even though he feels like a drunken slob. He staggers over to the jukebox to find a love song to impress her but doesn't have change, so he starts humming "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida." He promises to pay for the bar tab and take her back to a hotel to be alone with her.


The song captures the feeling of being intoxicated and infatuated with someone, and the brief encounters we have with strangers that can come to mean something significant to us. Through the lyrics, we learn that sometimes the small moments in life can have a profound impact on us. There is an element of uncertainty and desperation in the man's actions that makes the story all the more interesting.


Line by Line Meaning

Late weekend night and I'm at the Bojar Grill
It's a late weekend night and the singer is at Bojar Grill.


I got decisions to be made between lager and ale
The singer is conflicted on whether to order lager or ale.


When through the kitchen door come the dancing girl
A dancing girl enters through the kitchen door.


Then everything on the menu mattered
After the dancing girl enters, the singer no longer cares about the menu options.


Oh, the thoughts in my head, oh if she knew
The singer is thinking about what the dancing girl would think of him.


I hope she'll nod at this drunken bar slob
The singer hopes the dancing girl will acknowledge him despite being drunk.


'Cause I'm ready, willing and able
The singer is expressing his readiness to interact with the dancing girl.


Yes, I'm ready, willing and able
The singer reaffirms his eagerness to talk to the dancing girl.


Over to the jukebox, I staggered
The singer walks unsteadily over to the jukebox.


For a love song to scatter my body before her
The singer is searching for a love song to play in the hopes that the dancing girl will notice him.


Didn't have change and I lost my damn brains
The singer can't find any change and becomes flustered.


So I started humming in-a-godda-da-vida
Unable to play a song, the singer starts humming In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.


I'll pay the bar tab and even the cab
The singer offers to pay for drinks and a cab ride for the both of them.


Off to the hotel we'll wallow
The singer hopes to take the dancing girl to a hotel to spend the night with her.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

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Comments from YouTube:

Bennett Lewis

One of the most brilliant artists in the history of music!

Gamers

🤔👍👍👍

Suzanne Lawson

I bought the Archive Volume 1 Box Set, 1963 - 1967 and really enjoying those early songs.
I wonder if there any plans for a Vol. 2 in the works? I had read about a lot of other previously unreleased songs that she only sang mostly in coffeehouses from 1963 to 1965 but apparently never recorded and were not put out on the Volume 1 box set. Maybe they were only recorded at the coffeehouses but not in a recording studio.
So it would be wonderful to hear more of those early folk songs too.

Luc Grillet

joni is one of those incredibly talented artist you only get a few of out a generation! can’t wait to hear even more legendary music of hers <3 joni mitchell’s music feeds and heals the soul. I think now more than ever is an appropriate time to spread healing and light. so exciting, especially considering this is a gift to the world coming directly from her! :))))

Karen Bella

Thanks for posting! If you have a second, I tried my hand at a cover of Meredith Brooks. As a fellow music lover, I'd love if you would check it out. It's on my page. Hope you enjoy. Don't go too tough on me :)

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