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From: henhenstoll
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  • To all who said this song was "ruined" by APC then FUCK YOU! Don't bash in Maynard for giving the song a somewhat better sounding harmony! He didn't ruin it! If you ask me or a lot of other people he made it just as good as the original. But seriously if anybody had anything to say about my opinion in a bad way......... I DON'T GIVE A PERFECT FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!! :DDDDD

  • Ok first of all. All of you who say APC "ruined" this song..... FUCK YOU. They gave this song some harmony. Just because Maynard made the song sound that much better doesn't mean you should say he fucked it up! The original is good but sounds better with harmony thanks to A PERFECT CIRCLE and if any body on here bashes me for this comment then............. I DONT GIVE A SHIT ABOUT YOUR THOUUGHT ON MY OPINION! But yeah.......... :)))))

  • apc version is shit. The whole album, besides Passive, is crap. I love apc, but god eMotive is a big fuck you from Maynard.

  • A perfect circle fucked this song just so you know -___-

  • @1sexualninja1 They fucked it or they fucked it up? Actually, it doesn't matter. Both statements are blatant falsities.

  • @HonoraryInsomniacs You sir have the intelligence of an ape.

  • @1sexualninja1 You, sir, missed a couple of commas.

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  • @1sexualninja1

    No, they didn't? They made an own, quite interesting version of it with brilliant vocal work. A version that I actually enjoy more than the original. Doesn't mean it IS better or worse. But c'mon...fucked? No way.

  • APC did it better.

  • @HonoraryInsomniacs No they fucked it...

  • Good, but I think emphasis was put on the wrong syllables, so it feels like shes never sang it before

  • Come on, guys! Joni Mitchell made a cover of "Summertime" herself, and both versions are genius. APC did fantastic work!

  • this was for a different era, apc's made it more modern for today

  • Amazing, after years of the APC song I only find out now that Joni wrote it! Incredible. Love both versions.

  • All music in Ireland sounds like this.

  • This gives me the chills.

  • Oh, love...

  • This version is stellar. Covering this like covering Stairway to Heaven is allowed but not in good taste.

  • What's APC? You're not referring to any crappy modern rock bands are you?

  • @mikedonn71 APC is short for A Perfect Circle, a modern yet not at all crappy rock band. You should listen to their version of this wonderful song, it's really worth a try. Keep an open mind.

  • @LiberacionIgualdad A Rock band? Thats fucking crap, they are more then just an ordinary rock band. APC is Alternative if anything, Mixing Metal, New Wave, and several others genres. I think its a good modern interpretation of the song.

  • @mikedonn71 It's A Perfect Circle and they have done more amazing things with their little side project band in 1 album then you will have done in your entire life. So enjoy living in the past. Let me know how that works of for you.

  • Ver powerful song. And done very well by APC as well

  • The APC version rocks, but as an avid fan of both Joni and MJK, to all those people who say "APC did it better" you have to realize that there wouldn't be an APC version had Joni Mitchell not written such an amazing song to begin with..and it says something that MJK didn't change the song much at all for Emotive, they mainly added harmonies and a couple vocal nuances. Unlike a lot of the songs on Emotive that are completely different. Just sayin...

  • @roseevenstar Bravo, my friend. Bravo. Well said.

  • @roseevenstar The hardmonies is what made it better. Thank you for noticing.

  • @roseevenstar You forget two things. For one, MJK's "vocal nuances", added with his unique vocal style, adds new and deeper feeling to the song. The second reason leaves all other arguments invalid. In the instance of a dispute involving MJK, APC, or anything loosely related to Tool, the opinion of the Collective Unconscious falls within the realm of truth, no matter the circumstance. You may continue to roam about YouTube "just sayin" anything you wish. Just don't expect to win any arguments.

  • This song gives me shivers - passion lies within this song.

    I do like APC though :)

  • Being as MJK mentioned a deep respect for Joni Mitchell in past interviews, A Perfect Circle's take of this song is a flattering homage to Joni's contributions in music. Honestly, I didn't know it was a Mitchell song until watching this video. It was all the more pleasant a surprise.

    APC did this song at Red Rocks amphitheater just last night (8/2/2011) in the rain. It was a pretty powerful rendition.

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  • Joni Mitchell is a wonderful singer and songwriter. I am proud to be Canadian.

  • @MyLadyGreensleeves77 Nationalism is what creates war. Be proud to be a global citizen...

  • APC is way better, go Maynard

  • a perfect circle deff did it so much better

  • This song is so beautiful, thoughtful, and chillingly true. This is coming from a citizen of the U.S., one of the ones that loves their country enough to tell it that it is terribly flawed.

  • Harsh words from a friend are better than Kind words from an enemy

    

  • i think a perfect circle's version is better

  • @AltairSephiroth thats cus its maynard man!

  • @lotrojoe hell yeah....Maynard can make any sucky or okay song KICKASS!!!!!

  • Heart to heart

  • This song has been my soundrack since May 1st

  • goosebumps

  • beautiful performance. not many people can captivate a large audience with nothing but a voice. Joni has that power

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  • this song is incredibly beautiful. i heard the APC version first, but the originals are always very great.

  • i've been wondering if the apc song of this was a cover or not. I just could never look up the song without getting the apc version as a result.

  • @stephenzimnoch every song on the album, Emotive, is a cover except for "passive."

  • @TMdrumbum

    counting sheep to the rythmn of the war drum also

  • @McElroyPad ahh i didn't know that. thank you.

  • @TMdrumbum "Passive" is indeed a cover of a song by Trent Reznor's side project Tapeworm 

  • did she ever heard the word "rhythm" ?

  • @BeautyOfVisual It's called Syncopation

  • @BeautyOfVisual wow...

    where did you make you music studies?? 'cause i can't even read a damn music sheet but i know she's in time... as annoying as the syncopation maybe, she's in time...

  • @BeautyOfVisual Have you ever heard of proper grammar when presenting a critique?

  • that last freakin line gives me the chills. no idea why.

  • @OneManPants13

    exactly, man, "we have all come to fear the beating of your drum"... damn...

    when you think about it, this kind of feel not only for america but for all superpowers in the world is actual. everybody is just trebling and waiting who's gonna trade the handshake for the fist.

  • who said she was bashing America this is the sound of Ben Franklin and a young religious leader speaking their hearts, I believe- Joni is spot on for sound physics research.

  • who said she was bashing America this is the sound pf Ben Franklin and a young religious leader speaking their hearts, I believe- Joni is spot on for sound physics research.

  • Brilliant

  • Profoundly affected me when I was a kid

  • Beautiful lyrics; beautiful lady. :) 

  • If i was one a ship i would jump off and take my chances with the sharks rather than hear this, by Juno.

  • OF COURSE she's not bashing our country! She lives on this continent, you know! I first saw her do this over forty years ago, in L.A.(city of the fallen angels). She was living in Laurel Canyon then. I had come down MAINLY to see C.S.N. & Y. (Neil had just rejoined his old Springfield, buddy Stephen Stills, shortly after they did Woodstock. When I saw her do this a capella at Griffith Park, I forgot about Crosby Nash & Co. just wanted to listen to Joni for the rest of my life.

  • @juan2m8

    ....just wanted to add my agreement with those sentiments! I still listen to her, just, fresh as ever for me!

    She wrote, then spoke, from an intelligent mind. Wonderful to be so young and have all those gifts before you, fragrant, like flowers in bloom. Nothing like this one has ever crossed my path in this life, except for her proof, "they're really out there!"

  • whata voice on her. Im a maynard fan, but the original is better

  • I learned of this from listening to APC, and had wondered what cover he was doing. This is beautiful and Maynard adds an appropriate creepy tone. Both singers speak such truth in their words and tone.

  • great voice 

  • lol hippy's dress funny.

  • maynard tried but not even close. hes boring anyways haha

  • Great, except, at the end, she forgot to tear up a photo of the Pope while shouting "Fight the real enemy!"

  • @gorillabelly1 hahaha!!!

  • Thank you for posting! I have placed it on my Facebook page for a short while. It's the right time for the sentiment.

  • tHIS VERSION IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND ACAPELLA IA AAMAZING

  • Do you realize how much skill and courage it takes to sing that acapella?

    Love it! Also love APC's cover!

  • I have twisted feelings about Joni Mitchell. Wonderful voice, great song writer. But, anyone who rips on Bob Dylan is just not okay in my book. She just envy's him because he's a better song writer.

  • Maynard stays so true to the original............ One of the few covers which out-do the original.

    Only MY opinion...

  • Thanks so much for posting this. I used to sing this song, back in the '60s & '70s but I'd kind of forgotten about it & couldn't remember how it went. It's a very poignant, beautiful song and, unfortunately, still all too relevant.

  • When I listened to the album "Clouds" and heard this song for the first time, I remember thinking how lucky I am to be living in the same time as such a great artist and how lucky my country is to have a neighbor like Canada.

  • So beatiful song, Joni's acapella singing emphasizes the lyrics, which are very sharp and relevent to that day , not only in america.

    may we will all trade the fist for the handshake.

  • Nice dress!  Just a little green...like a gypsy dancer!

  • Apples and oranges, people!  I love both versions, I adore both singers. Maynard and APC aren't trying to compete with Joni. They are paying homage to her and proving this song is timeless and unfortunately still appropriate.

  • The song was written in response to America's involvement in the Vietnam civil war, but it holds just as true today for America's wars of aggression in the middle east. One of the definitions of great art is that it speaks beyond its original time and place. By that standard this and so many other songs of Joni Mitchell are great art because they speak (and will continue to speak) down through time. .

  • Government is coercion, let's strive for a freer society. That IS Peace

  • @DonateToFreedomCom Fuck off with your Randian bullshit.

  • A Perfect Circle's cover is like a thousand times better. But i have massive respect for Joni Mitchell's whole "Perfect pitch" thing. I just think a perfect circle was better this song. especially the way they say "the drum" i don't know, Joni Mitchell is really cool but it was just one of those times where the cover is better than the original. same as Mad World and Land of Confusion

  • @Ravenkliff I'm not sure I agree that it's "better" simply because of how different it is. The popular musical styles of the different generations are so widely different that an accurate comparison is impossible but I do find that the perfect circle version speaks to me more most likely because of the harmonies they use where as joni mitchell doesnt use harmony at all.

  • Yeah these versions are entirely different and remember Joni wrote it and she is signing it live and without pitch correction tricks that they have now.

    I like perfects circle version as well too.

  • People think in convenient metaphorphs.

  • Listened to the APC cover, but I don't think comparison is appropriate. The lyric's are Joni's and when she is performing it she's speaking to a friend. Instrument accompaniment of harmony wouldn't be appropriate when Joni sings it.

  • @westkan apc didnt use instruments, they added vocal harmonies

  • A friend always takes a risk. when they try to counsel another friend. No matter how gently they choose and peak their words. A citizen of the USA who is cut by thing song is cut because they know their country has lost any higher moral ground it may have earned.

  • Far out follow Canadian.

  • great song and im glad i know who originally did it now...but i have to say imo perfect circle's cover is much better it just seems to flow better...jonis is good as well just to me doesnt seem to flow i believe.

  • i couldn't agree more :) <3 x

  • "So I ask you please, can I help you find the peace . . . ? "

    Wish the whole world some peace and justice and serenity for the new year!

  • i like the song but this performance is terrible or worse..it's like me singing

  • I'm sure it is not.

  • i don't think it's all about the performance, but the message of the song :)

  • Damn thats money!!

  • Joni Mitchell knocked em' dead. Shut up and enjoy the obvious.

  • very cool :) was interested after first hearing a perfect circles version and discovering it was a cover of this one :)

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  • Beautiful

  • especially poignant in modernity's complexities.

  • 'she covered a perfect circle'....

    jesus christ.

    and check out his spelling! folks, we have been graced with the scribblings of a true retard.

    or... 'retered'

    wow.

  • Don't mock it with the word groovy.. it just makes you seem like a douch that doesn't know what it means. Though I don't doubt that you do.

  • You DO realize that APC only wrote 1 of the songs on the Emotive album, right? 10 of the songs are covers (including a cover of this song), one of them Maynard and Billy wrote (Counting Bodies like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums), and "Passive" was written by Maynard for one of his previous bands but the band didn't get to record anything so he decided to use the song in APC.

  • [/ignorance]

  • The APC version is pretty good though,

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  • Don't we all hate war? We live in probably two of the "relatively" safest countries in the world.

    Give a thought for those souls that are not allowed to voice their thoughts or actions.

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  • It looks like she had been letting her bangs grow out for several months. I think her hair is especially beautiful in this video.

  • Wow, I love seeing her wear this green velvet dress.

  • More relevant now than ever. Perhaps our regime change will help to clean some of the tarnish off our legacy.

  • i like the perfect circle version better

  • Yeah, we want a country of obsequious, deferential peons. That's what will keep America great.

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  • sure, you CAN say that, but here's the thing, we give people the right to say what they want in our country, and the song is amazing. You completely seem to miss the message of the song, and you get angry rather than appreciating what someone else has to say. Stop complaining about what other people have to say, and just accept an opinion.

  • She's not 'bashing' our country, but speaking the truth that we are so ignorant to see. Its a beautiful song and full of meaning.

  • People like you give a bad name to America... do us a favor and press the "kill myself" button.

  • You do know that it wasnt your country to begin with. I think you need a little history lesson before you complain about the song writting.

  • Video needs to be re-submitted once the lipsynch problem has been fixed.

  • yeah, she has a nice voice, if she did a harmonic with someone and had a little more rrhythm it would easily be as pleasant

  • ah crap i didnt know a perfect circle covered this

  • i like the A Perfect Circle's version better but lets give credit to the women who wrote this. the song would of never been sung by APC if it wasnt for her.

  • @qpunk515 yea shes more of a poet than a singer

  • @MajorCroom I personally cant stand APC...

  • @qpunk515 I agree with you, the chain of events is great. If it werent for this women, we would not see the beauty of how APC sings it!

  • @qpunk515 Yeah definitely a hauntingly beautiful rendition of a classic song.. Go APC!

  • The message in this video is just as true today as it was 30+ years ago

    God Bless the America we love!

  • It's interesting how this webpage, hosting a recording of a song about peace and a call to an end to war, is filled with strife, hate-filled comments. we are very sad, aren't we? talking about and listening to ideals we can't live up to...

  • agreed, maynards version is awesome. but she did write it!

  • America is crap. It was built fast and it will crumble fast. We have some of the highest fraud in the world. 7 out of 10 people are in debt. We have INVADED another country and are trying to pursue more. Americans are ignorant. Bottom line. I can say this cause I am an American, and i've seen the world. How many people reading this comment can say they have left the country or have the actual intent to leave? Canada and mexico do not count. Can you name a Leader of any other country?

  • Me, me, pick me!

    In all seriousness, we are one of the least corrupt nations in the world. There are many that suffer due to corruption, including Indonesia. America is about on par with the UK and Japan in general corruption, as seen in Marketing, by Kotler. We are also blessed with a higher education than people seem to think.

    America is hardly perfect, but it is not the abyss that some seem to think it. I too have traveled the world and came to a different conclusion.

  • You guys are ridiculous...

    Her lyrics are not a gift from the universe or whatever... she's using very common devices of literature, and filling it with words against an "establishment" the entire generation was against... this is a very basic song when you try being realistic... Furthermore, she may be talented... writing... but not singing... She's inconsistent and shaky... she is just not a talented singer... APC did a wonderful cover... but has nothing to do with Americas situation. Grow up

  • Kaneda, this is Joni Mitchell and shes a freaking legend. This was recorded in a time where folk music was at it's peak.

    A Perfect Circle did do a good cover, but this song is an anti war song. And It "DOES" very much have to do with America's situation. Much like Woodstock, and the artists at her time, this song was recorded by APC because it was anti-war. Joni often wrote songs asking WHY there was war. Not begging for it to stop. This is how others see America currently.

  • I think A Perfect Circle's version is a lot better.

  • It's not the country~America, ppl hate...it's the people u pick and choose to be yer President, It's your Goverment interest....it's the question why young Americans still going out to war that shudn't be at the first place. That is what people hate. The People Govern The Country. Not The President. Do sumthing~!

  • As a citizen of the USA I hate to say it, the problem IS the ppl. To many don't care if those outside the USA have paid dearly for the comfort we in the USA enjoy. Gud luck in getting elected as a representative of the ppl if you point out their failings :)

  • thank you for your kind reply westkan..yess, it seems that ppl these days, can't recall how to care for each others-anymore, the world is sadly governed by BAD people with bad intentions and hidden agenda's hiding in the name of democracy. Motivated only by wealth and money. The root to the destruction of "mostly" many civilization in the past.

  • I'm just someone who speaks my mind. My personal view. I think "evryone" is a "representative" of CHANGE. Everyone is entitled to their freedom. To a change.

  • right on

  • Joni Mitchell's poetics and music are a gift from the Universe to this sad, battered world.

    As to the immaturity of nations. in my lifetime I've come to see that while certain individual humans can mature into deeply wise, benevolent beings..nations are never able to rise above the intelligence of a teenage hooligan hawking a loogey out a school bus window.

  • This song holds true even more so for today.

    Its sad what happened to the USA. It used to be an open land of liberty. Now its so uneducated and lacking in substance and freedom compared to the the other great democracies. Jeez, most "Americans" have never travelled. Ask the average American what they think of "South America" or "Canada" (the other kinder more progressive America). You'll probably get a blank stare and a lip smacking skoal reponse like "golly i dunno".

    Sad

  • Gee Drewinsf, Joni explained she was from Canada, she wasnt' condescending, and she sang an incredible song.

    As opposed to speaking in third person, cherrypicking the 'good old days' when Americans had PhD's and sailed the great clipper ships to exotic destinations to speak of Proust and Kant. Using what you have been afforded as patronizing snobbery on those not as fortunate as you seem to forget.

    And Canada is not "America". Canada is a loft apartment above a really great party.

  • "Open land of liberty"? I don't recall America ever being such a thing.

  • P.S. Dynamoehummm nice Robin Williams quote. Unfortunately he IS a comedian...

  • It was in the founders eyes. Hence the phrase in the song "I can remember all the good things you are"

    We were a land of liberty, and we can be again.

  • not all of us are backwoods rednecks.

    it's not all "Deliverance" in the United States. if you've study any US history you would know it was never an "open land of liberty"... have you even been to this country?

    and why did you put quotations around Americans?

  • She sounds amazing accapella.

  • whoa!! is this the origional version of the APC song?? I thought theirs was origional.

  • yea this is the original.... APC's album eMOTIVe which this was on is mostly covers like imagine which is a john lennon song

  • ORIGINAL? ok not origional...

    They really pulled it off good though.

    Is she from Canada? Is APC? idk