Joni Mitchell-Chelsea Morning (1969)

[MsGothgirl2000]

OMg, i luv this song, my teacher showed it to us in language arts class for our metaphor project

[UpstairsMaid]

The song was inspired by Mitchell's room in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. The inspiration for the first verse comes partly from the distinct décor of her apartment.

[caperinglibrarian]

I thought it was inspired by the Chelsea Hotel in NY??

[DrakeGrad]

Joni what a songbird ...just great

[greenthumbguy1]

"...and the sun poured in like butterscotch and stuck to all my senses..." What female "artist" today can craft such lines?

[kauaiphil]

This always reminds me a girl I loved and let get away at UT, Austin 1970. Her name was Spring and she turned me on to Joni. I was all radical/political. One of my few regrets. Aloha and Peace from Kauai.

[InsertName125]

How boring. The audience just sat and listened.

How far we've come since then. I wonder if this audience would have appreciated the genius of justin beaver, or jay z...

[writereducator]

I see this masterpiece as a companion to Carole King's, "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" The speaker has already given away her intimacy to the "Pretty baby" sleeping in her bed. He's not going to stay, the stupid fool. But the speaker, too, was foolish to give away her body and heart to him.

[takfam07]

How is it that fans of current Top Twenty music not be disappointed in the disparity of song quality today, vs. Joni's era? No one today comes close to Joni--her melodies, lyrics, singing, and instrumentation. Can't they see that it's more difficult-- and more valuable --to write and perform a timeless song, than it is to produce a flashy and superficial music video? Seems like silicone, tattoos, piercings, abs, and "look at me" tabloid drama matter more today. Or maybe I'm just gettin' old.

[pt8648]

Always loved this song. I live in Chelsea, NYC. Although, I know it was inspired by Chelsea, London. My thanks to England.........and henhenstoll for posting.

[hannahchloebff]

Favorite Joni song<3

[pongqi]

CANADA!



[bownarrowmusic]

Joni is part of what made things real growing up. Love the offerings henhenstroll.

[jeffsdolphin]

just a kid ...............love er

[davejazzanova]

She radiates the divine. She touches my soul.

[Agoateeman]

a national treasure for certain. i have not tired of listening to her gems over these decades.

[thasa01]

I just love her lyrics and voice....

[asbpab1966]

Cute girl. Great voice. Lovely song.

[PattyFlynn58]

I love Joni~

[lioninwinter101]

I'm still in love with Joni !

[wordreet]

Can't get enough of Joni. She is just a joy to listen to.

Thanks for sharing.

5/5

[VinnyLLL]

Sure showed Jefferson Airplane what real talent is.

[rnkbis]

this is the sunday after woodstock

[greenthumbguy1]

"...and the sun poured in like butterscotch and stuck to all my senses..." What a great line...!!!

[airstrip101]

They sure broke the mold when they made Joni.

There's not another like her.

[stevevandien]

JM is terrific. Every aspiring singer-songwriter should note how she blends music, language and sounds ---

[sunvana]

chelsea clinton named for this

[tomswift46]

She is amazing!

[rodozores]

It's about New York, just like big yellow taxi.

[lancitos]

This is the Dick Cavett show, and it's available

on DVD. That's the Jefferson Airplane seated

around her. Two of them were making fun of her

on another song.

[DAVIDSILVERCA]

Since you seem to know this well, was this the tv performance she went to and missed going to Woodstock?

[bmoxco]

Yes, it is. The taping for this broadcast was only hours after the Woodstock event ended. Her manager wouln'd allow her to go to the festival in fear that she might miss this opportunity to be on Cavett.

[mark1800]

BUMMER of all time!

[rustino08]

such effortless genius!

[catchersmitt0]

Is that Open-D tuning?

[kbatcho]

nope H# minor

[Pangael]

Kabatcho,

Maybe not so wrong. Joni uses a lot of very *weird* tunings. G# minor, maybe for this one.

Part of her genius.

[smith5770]

Open D if I'm hearing it right

[emersonwells]

This tuning is one of her earlier tunings. It's open D with the capo on the second fret making it open E. This one's also used for Big Yellow Taxi but with the capo on the fourth fret. I think it may also be used on Both Sides Now and Cactus Tree. She's a genius.

[Micklet]

I remember my first morning in New York..I was staying at a friends place in Bergin County where there is a beautiful view of Manhattan from her apartment. The sun was just rising on a beautiful morning and this was playing in the background...heavenly!

[seanburke100]

These lyrics are genius!

JM

[nickybadboy50]

Reminds me of NY on Saturday morning...The British folk-rock group Fairport Convention did an interesting version of the song as well.

[mistertomasP]

What a voice!!!!!!

[NicholeChoiceMusic]

OK. Yeah. Goosebumps here. I love the set design, too!

[CARLETON14]

We'll talk in present tenses.

[DancesLikeFire]

Such a beautiful song. This is actually the song that the Clinton's named their daughter after.

[MaureenKilgore]

This is so beautiful and if Cavett, so bittersweet. Perfect at any rate.

[3rdandnowhere]

I have always loved her, and I always will.

[pefesta]

An angel.

[papatel2]

beautiful voice, even better lyrics. amazing!!!!! i love the colorful lyrics

[vaughnsalem]

i love Joni ,,i think this was the Dick Cavett show that made her miss Woodstock ,the very song she wrote of it ,her managers told her to do this show and miss woodstock ,,she wanted to go to that festival

[fecinny]

....which is why it was Essra Mohawk's description of Woodstock (which she was scheduled to play but driver got lost) that inspired Joni to write "Woodstock."

True story.

[vaughnsalem]

Rollingstone Magazine rated Joni as the most important female artist of the last 20th century ,I totally agree,she is my hero as a person to

[big6corde]

TRES BEAU QUELLE VOIX BRAVOOOOO

[nickbigd]

the sun poured in like butterscotch and stuck to all my senses -- one of my favorite lyrics ever.

[StevenCharlesJazz]

Love it, incredible....

[BostonRocker51]

nice Martin D28, Joni - I'll trade you a cherry red 1959 Les Paul Special for it, if you're interested... I almost stayed at the Chelsea last time I was in NYC, because of this tune. thanks for a beautiful song...

[fozzishg]

Remember she is NOT lip-synching. This is live and she is AMAZING. I don't think people realize what we miss today with some of our current artists that the record companies promote. She would be and Indie artist today and the majority of the public would never get to experience Joni Mitchell.

[geffel]

Wow, look at that set.

[Dalet92]

This was a day after woodstock 69. Crosby and Stills were on the show just after Joni finnished her set and stills performed 4 and 20.. AWESOME song!!

[slownoman]

just astonishing. this song came just as my wife and I were married, and that sense of wonder at just the ordinary things in a lovely day was everywhere. sometimes it still is.

[titanz05]

what an awesome song!

[hotlesbianassassin]

Fucking beautiful...

[xummij]

Enriching.

[DAVSURB]

Stunning, one of her best songs, thanks for posting it up

[Pheenomenous]

WOW! If she only sang or only played or only wrote the song she would be acclaimed, and yet she did all three. Stunning performance, stunning musician, stunning song.

[emersonwells]

Immediately following this song, she played For Free and Willy, and they are B-E-A-Utiful!!! Does anybody have these and if so please, pretty pretty please, load them!! Spanks!

[ocrowhurst]

takes my breath away.....

[Beemerboy324]

Joni sings. Creation stops what it's doing and listens - and smiles.

[DaydreamerLou]

ohh..i love joni.

[stevedonyoung]

This is all that a popular/ contemporary song should be - full of originality, colour and rhythm.

[vaughnsalem]

Joni ,is so damn great ,no one can compare ,ever ,creation at it's best

[Shosh28]

My heart is full! Amazing!

[vaughnsalem]

I totally love her ,all my life ,she was performaning and the croud looked stunned ,but it was 1969,she was before her time

[savethetiedye117]

i <3 joni mitchell, but she kind of looks like a horse.

[JulesMadsen]

what a jack ass statement.

[savethetiedye117]

i did say that i loved her. she is one of my favorite artists ever. and i didn't mean for that to come out that way. i was just thinking aloud, so chill

[naama1993]

Well, she's partly Scandinavian so it can be the reason. Even though, her inner beauty is very shown.

[lazurm]

I love forward projecting teeth. So there.... :)

[LoveYourDNA]

I miss all the freshness of music of those times...

[shrekinasuit]

yeah...

[bookkeeper57]

This was Dick Cavett's post Woodstock show, featuring as guests many of the acts that were there: Joni left her false eyelashes

at home, and looks fine without them.

[haworthhoarder]

stunning live performance by Joni from the golden age of folk

[sensei48]

I think even better than the studio version. What a voice!

[46redoc]

yeah.

[cranie4]

She was so far above the musicians of the time IMHO. I love them all but she's just miles beyond where even the big names of the day were.

There's no real repetition or taking the simple route in her writing. It's musically and lyrically rich.

[palinlondon]

Great song, beautiful voice.

[thimoneus]

That is one of Joni Mitchell's best performances and one of musical history's best performances.

[brianjacobi]

Such a great singer. Wonderful relaxed guitar playing. Thanks so much for posting

[andyromualdez1121]

Bill and Hillary liked the song so much that they their daughter Chelsea.

[DrBelser12]

Yup.

[emifolk]

yeah, great footage and "BLUE" is one of the greatest albums ever.

[KroovyMonsoon]

This performance came from the Dick Cavett Show. Jefferson Airplane were also guests on that episode and I believe if you look closely you can spot them in the audience.

[woodessence]

Joni wrote this song, and I love her expression of it!

[grai]

She looks very sad here - she had a serious breakdown sson after this and said she felt fragile - she looks it here - but bravely being her usual brilliant self

[AttentionErnst]

also, she had just missed the woodstock festival which she was to regret forever.

[grai]

And giving her baby up for adoption was a massive lifelong trauma for her which I think was just a little before this

[AttentionErnst]

That happened 4-5 years before this.

[grai]

Whats your point? 4 or 5 years is enough to recover from the trauma or giving away your child??

[AttentionErnst]

No, I only defined what you said.

[grai]

ok - thanks for that

[amtk019]

It's a good song but I suspect most people (me included) like Judy Collins's version better.

[SydFstyd]

No, no, no! this is by far the better version...Judy Collins is too saccharine to do justice to such a song as this

[Abernis]

Thank you ever so much

(hope it stays there..)