I started searching for elementary school friends. When I reached one, I said I can't believe we haven't spoken for 60 years. We were kids back then. I was looking for sanity and like-mindedness. That's why I'm listening to Joni.
I really can't decide if I prefer this original version or the one she did in 2000, which slowed it down a lot. Her voice is purer, so to speak, here, but the depth of emotion and introspection comes out more in the later version
@@harveymanfredsenjenson5417 I fully agree. I can't decide either. Joni's mature voice packs an palpable emotional punch. I remember noticing the change when Turbulent Indigo came out. The verses played for the movie "Love Actually" would not have been so moving had they been from her youthful recordings -- beautiful as they are.
When Mama Cass says "This is my friend Joni Mitchell, and this is my friend Mary Travers", it goes really deep. In the Laurel Canyon scene, Mama Cass was a true friend to so many people, and made so many introductions. If I recall correctly, she introduced Graham Nash to David Crosby and Stephen Stills. Without her, the world of music would have been a lot poorer. If only she were with us now.
Well...she will always be with us.. right...the fine arts ...music..poetry...art..film...if they are fine...they will never leave us ..they are etched into our hearts forever... just saying... Eric Underwood class of 81 Downey High School California 👍
@Joe Devola whose the Marxist Pedophiles ....how do you come up with that ...you are assuming that Geographic areas are all nothing but evil? So therefore everything including the fine arts is Evil... Brother you are lost! I was born not far from Laurel Canyon...in a Los Angeles suburb... A lot of great talent came from that area... don't you dare stereotype us all...You know what your saying...
@@tornadojoegee I guess we're supposed to imagine what it would be like to have friends this talented sitting around in our living rooms playing music. If only...
This gives me chills. Incredible. The 60's were a magic vortex opening up, in time, just for a moment. There will never be a period of creativity like it, again.
@@zyxw2024 Of course! I've been the recipient of many solids! I try to pay it forward too ... the universe gives you back, exactly what you put in to it. Give solids, get solids. Karma is real ☮️
The 70s too, if you were living in the right place. Anyone living in Denton, a small college town in Texas, will know exactly what I mean. All the gays from Dallas, all the shit kickers from Fort Worth, one of the top jazz schools in the country with music everywhere, the most amazing and creative conceptual artists, students streaking through campus day and night, and it was the center for drugs in the entire country. What a crazy menagerie! Definitely a glitch in the matrix.
She wrote this song when she was still so young... even she herself later said that she felt a bit out of place whenever sang it. She was wise beyond her years... Joni Mitchell, one of a kind.
Reminds me of how Jackson Browne wrote These Days as a teenager. How does someone so young write a line like "Don't confront me with my failures, I have not forgotten them"? Brilliant.
@@richardread8281 - Correct. The song was inspired by a passage in a book Joni was reading while on an airplane. The 1959 novel is called Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow. Per Wikipedia Joni had this to say about writing Both Sides Now: "I was reading on a plane and early in the book the protagonist Henderson is also up in a plane. He's on his way to Africa and he looks down and sees these clouds. I put down the book, looked out the window and saw clouds too and I immediately started writing the song. I had no idea that the song would become as popular as it did."
When one gets to be my age (almost 70), he begins to recognize the truth of these lyrics. There's a sadness for opportunities missed, but also gratefulness for having survived and persevered in this thing called life.
I was lucky enough to see Joni sing this song at the Anaheim Convention center in 1973 with someone I love. As we were leaving someone said "this is where she'll go to catch her limo".No one believed them but we stood and waited anyway and sure enough in a few minutes Joni appeared and stopped to greet her faithful fans. A moment I'll never forget.
+Thomas Gill She is stunning. Every word to describe a beautiful woman fits her; stunning, striking, breathtaking, sexy, foxy, babe, cute, pretty, heart breaking, voluptuous, the list goes on. She takes a backseat to my X girlfriend Claudia Schiffer even.
Her face is beautiful. Her voice is a beautiful Her songs are beautiful She is one of the most talented songwriters and singers that ever lived but she is so underrated .
My mother watched this. She loved Joni and always watched Mama Cass. No wonder I was a huge fan of hers and the storytellers of the 70s, Carole King, Jim Croche, Harry Chapin, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and Carly Simon to name a few.
During times of chaos and insanity, I needed this. I looked for it after watching her sing on the 2024 Grammys twice. Meryl Streep and her daughter were in the audience. I think you may want to ask a tearful Streep daughter, why she was in tears (as we were). Transports us back to better times.
I've never seen this clip before so I watched Mama Cass introduce her friend. The goosebumps started instantly the lump in the throat after 30 seconds the tears after a minute. I'm a 57 year old man and not much moves me these days but this did.
Nearly a thousand have recorded negative comments.........what planet are these people on !!??.... Joni is an amazing artist and this song is hers.......
I lost my Mom, my Dad, my 3 brothers, 2 sisters, 4 help including the cook, 2 visiting neighbors and 5 different pets - all in a devastating grade fire. They all loved Joni Mitchell. My god, I love them all...
There is a transcendence and a purity of her form of art. Her voice was angelic and could span registers, she wrote sublime poetry. Music like this elevates the soul and that is what makes it art.
Beautiful, poetic lyrics and a crystal clear, pleasant voice. Joni is considered a legend for a reason, she is one. Beautiful poetic songwriting and an amazingly nice voice 💛
Amazing to think that in these early days, Joni had only just begun her voyage of genius. Hard to believe that Hejira, Court and Spark and the rest of her wonderful catalogue were still inside this beautiful woman's mind. Or perhaps we knew, right from the start, that we would be embarking on a life long journey with one of the truly great poets of our time.
2022 crying because it was a dream song many yrs ago and I had to ask my cousin. I said the cloud song and sang it. And she said oh. Joni Mitchell. Ohhhh yeah. I don't see any family anymore. My angels guide me instead
Met Anne Murray's parents in Nova Scotia where I lived. Very friendly and wanting to hear other's stories. Canadians are great people. I'm from Mississippi.
My childhood summarized in a beautiful song..............ice cream castles in the air takes me back to that magical time in life. After loosing lost loved ones I can still go back to this song and think of all the wonderful a simple time.........
I hope you do....she really changed my life....really thoughtful ,wonderful and sad songs that are so true. I started listening her in 1969......so that makes me a younger than Joni.......er i was 14.
Samara Shelp This song was a hit for another singer named Judy Collins. You might enjoy her recording of it, especially the "hit version" on UA-cam. If you watch Mad Men, this song was the closing for "In Care of" - season 6, episode 13. As noted by another commenter below, it's got a "happier" sound, though even as a little kid it made me sad, so I think the melancholy come through in both versions. Love them both.
Scott McGillivray I'm with you. Every time. That's because you are listening to one of the true genius musicians of our lifetime. The emotional connection is real because her use of her poetry blends perfectly with her music and of course with her incredible voice. If you lose yourself in her words you find the joy, confusion, pain and mystery of life. Her writing and music are so soulfully raw and transparent. Raw, yet so beautifully refined. And this is just one song. Nobody in popular music in years has come close to writing one song at this level of inspired musicianship. And she's written MANY songs of this greatness. I don't think most people realize just how incredible Joni Mitchell is.
Scott McGillivray me too; you aren't alone Joni was my hero right from the first time I heard that incredibly beautiful voice. Okay, so I was a little envious that she could hit notes I couldn't reach with a ladder.... but Joni just had such a wonderful vocal range & in all these years I've yet to hear a voice I loved as much as hers.
I saw her live in 1974 in South Bend Indiana. She had made a bet with one of her tour men that Notre Dame would beat UCLA and Bill Walton, to support the underdog. ND did beat UCLA ending their 88 game winning streak, which made her even more of a favorite with the crowd, although she had my heart for many years beforehand. She was beautiful, musically perfect, winning, and wonderful and after over 40 years I remember her coming on stage like it was yesterday. Here's to you, Joni, the best of the best.
I absolutely love this human being, she is amazing. A great artist this has true depth, a great voice and something to say to the world. It’s a pleasure to live in the same world has Joni.
I remember the hit Judy Collins had with this and always thought she sang it beautifully. Then, I heard Joni sing it on the Johnny Cash Show and was totally blown away. I can't describe how this song makes me feel.
Me, too. Judy did a beautiful job of it, too. I understand Joni wrote it as a reply to Sugar Mountain. I'm not sure its true or not, but it seems as if it could be.
It is beyond what I can comprehend how Joni wrote such a intrinsically meaningful song that most people would not understand until their elder years at such a young age...A gift from heaven she is.
I don't know how I managed in my almost 53 years on this earth to miss such a truthful, wise beyond measure and utterly beautiful song....I am now just grateful I finally found it....I too really don't know life, at all
Better later than never, it's tricky to keep up with current music when you're still in utero. ;-) I'm grateful to be able to easily watch recordings of performances such as this that I didn't have access to half a century ago!
Listening in 2023! Always have been, always will be! Joni has the voice of an angel and her songs are incredible! This one and Case of You have to be my favorites!!
@@ronnieboucherthecrystalcraftsm The lack of culture ruined it, so don't blame the substances, blame us people. We just watched it happen and did nothing to stop it. I remember my mother's music collection, Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis, Sammy Davis Jr., etc. Today's music just isn't very good, especially when compared to my mother's era I remember my parents going to the Latin Casino (South Jersey) to see the Jackson's when Michael was about 6 years old, my mother loved him.
@@ronnieboucherthecrystalcraftsm - and The Twin Curses of 'Digital Enhancement' and 'Digital Remastering' ... just as video killed the radio star so computer enginners are killing REAL MUSIC ! I for one am so very glad and grateful to have known 'The Real Thing'
I used to listen to this song when I was a kid and it would resonate with me.. even as a child. 40+ years later? its lifes illusions I recall. I really dont know life... at all.
+lambchopxoxo "but life... is for learning." I don't think we get the totality of the answer until we reach for the golden ring at the end of the ride. And even then, the answers are for we alone. Only the chosen few become enlightened and then get the opportunity to return and share that light with those still in the dark.
My wife says, you couldn't get better than this. So wonderfully talented women on the stage. This was when we could hear the words of songs, and artists could write, and play a musical instrument !
Beautiful lyrics and melody..a voice with such a range..The days of singer songwriters like Joni Mitchell John Denver Gordon Lightfoot are gone..But I still get goosebumps listening to them.
Indeed, goosebumps. Still. However, I don't believe the days of singer/songwriters/performers are over, only that they're less likely to break through to a wider audience and at my age I just don't seem to have the motivation to search out unique new talent from obscure sources (kind of like the law of diminishing returns, with all the amazing innovation over prior decades getting harder to equal, and a limit on how much you can keep previous innovations fresh).
Joni is a genius. Mary Travers, the strong female lead from Peter Paul and Mary, and the wonderful undeniable Cass. All three women irreplaceable pioneers. Only Joni remains now.
Such beautiful tone & vibrato, head voice & transition into chest, with such beauty in lower register. Some of her songs, like this one, pull my heart out & give me chills.
And where on Earth will we ever again see such a concentration of musical talent in one place? Mama Cass, Joni Mitchell, and Mary Travers? Seriously? Top that, 2020!!!!!!!!!!
You won't see it on TV channels, that's for sure. There are nuggets on UA-cam... people like Carson McKee, Josh Turner, Billy Strings and others who are genuinely talented and worth supporting.
C Cr yeah but that was back when liberals were open minded and tolerant and estrogen producers didn’t blame men for everything. I still love Joni’s music and have utmost respect for her talent and originality. Also still love PP&Ms music.
It would struggle now, but that was why some of us adored the 1970s. I lived in California in the mid 70s and it was a magical time to have a childhood there.
How much I love you Joni Mitchell.. I am 65... you have always been with me...love ladies of the canyons... like me in my hippy days..went to see you many times in concert...💟💟💟💟💟
Amazing to think of the "musical couples" in the canyon at that time. Stephen Stills and Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell and Graham Nash. Joni even hooked up with David Crosby for a time, in south Florida.
When Joni is introduced, and gives us that beautiful big smile, i can't help but smile myself every time, and feel happy. What an amazing piece of music.x
It’s strange how music back in the sixties was just about the song. Mostly performers these days get in the way of their own art by making themselves more important than the songs.
You know it's funny, I was born in the 70s, but I listened to a lot of 60s music as a child, and I was just saying the other day, "the music of that era was about the music, and love, and understanding, and coming together, and community, and ending war. It wasn't about 'me or I' it wasn't about the money or fame. That's why it'll never be replicated, the younger generation is too wrapped up in their ego, their fame.... I call it Kardashian-itis.
@@greywolf393 I agree 100 percent. I don’t think younger people understand the culture of the sixties. How can they? It was a unique time for musical change and political and social engagement. The industry that grew out of the seventies and eighties was very different to the industry that grew out of the folk, skiffle, early rock n roll etc. Frank Zappa sums it up in that interview where he talks about the way the role of record executives changed from facilitating the artist to turning them into cash cows. If you get a chance look up Two or Three Spectres by Peter Hammill. Look up the lyrics too. It sums up the poisonous commercial music industry perfectly.
My grade 12 English teacher taught me this song and the underlining meaning of the song. Time flies and I will turn 65 in September....still love this song and certainly hope my English teacher Miss Hung still alive a well.
I'm 65 now and still remember Miss Booth in Freshman English listening to the poetry of Simon and Garfunkel. She was young and so were we........I can feel myself in the classroom with her heartfelt enthusiasm for the words. We were fortunate to have these teachers King Sole.
Back in the early 1960's my parents where returning from a weekend in Wasaga Beach when they stopped for gas near Orillia. The attendant asked if they could give his friend a lift to Toronto. Shy, polite kid with curly hair and a guitar case, A few years ĺatet they where watching the CBC when they saw the very same fellow singing on a variety show. Gordon Lightfoot.
@@jimzeleny7213 I was at his concert many years, and it started to rain. I was in the open area and he invited us to fill in the covered area. He was very polite. I imagine he could raise hell too though.
This is of historical interest and one of the most beautiful songs of that genre ever written. I saw it superbly performed in Canada by another Canadian - Judy Collins. Long may it be around for future generations to enjoy.
Why do I have to cry every time I hear this song? There has never been anything recorded more beautiful, sad, and thoughtful as this. The most underrated singer/songwriter of them all.
She is not underrated in my book … she is without peer as a female songwriter, singer, and musician … I love her music, especially the albums "Song To A Seagull", "Blue", and my all-time favorite, "For The Roses" … thank you for your love and sharing and talent Joni Mitchell!!!
What was so special about these times were the people who were still alive then: my wonderful grandparents, other relatives and friends gone, my amazing teachers, the neighborhood kids, the endless summer days, riding in the back of pick-ups, going to the movies every Saturday, the list goes on...this song helps capture some of that
Never forgotten...this was my time. Beautiful memories from a bygone time that was perfect in every way. Looking back from August 2020 and sad we can't have this time back again. Pandemic..Covid 19 how sad our lives are forever changed. God gave us the best era ever xx
I've looked at many of the comments below, and most are touched by Joni Mitchell's beauty, lyrics and voice -- all of which are astonishing in a single package. However, almost no comments mention her guitar playing. Although her guitar playing is not flashy in this song, she took guitar tunings to a different universe and in the process became one of the all-time great guitar players. You get some of the droning quality of her unusual guitar tunings in this song -- and I mean that in a good way. My point is: Not only was she beautiful, had an amazing voice and wrote poetry and accessible melodies, she was also a goddess on guitar -- one of the all-time greats. If you find a list of the 100 all-time best guitarists, there's a good chance she's on that list.
she has unusual tunings because she contracted polio when she was young and it affected mobility in her fingers, so she had to create new tunings that her fingers could hold. You're right tho, she's absolutely sublime and this made her really innovative with harmonies and progressions because she wasn't using the standard tuning. Also, she's fantastic on piano and zither too.
I've been taken back to watching my mum get dressed for work in the 70s while songs like these came on the radio. My parents LP collection is still very large and I bawl my eyes out hearing songs like this because the emotions surge in me if the gratitude I have for my parents offering the gift of music to my childhood - music that exposed my brother and I to such an amazing diverse collection. I knew this song very well by the time I was 8. I see so many comments from people who seem to miss out on other genres of music. This song is absolutely beautiful, in all it's versions, but it's the lyrics that have touched my soul. Songwriters have a special gift to convey human emotion and understanding on a global scale - irrespective of cultural background. I challenge those reading this to widen your scope of music - you may surprise yourself at what touches your heart. Folk, rock, reggae, jazz, soul, country classical, rhythm and blues, rap, funk, house, punk etc all have a purpose. Where would we be in this world without the release music can bring!?
I think no song better sums up Joni's incredible body of work than this one, written all the way at the beginning when she was still in her early twenties and wise beyond on her years. What a profound and beautiful song, and perfect performance. It almost brings me to tears.
Rows and flows of angel hair And ice cream castles in the air And feather canyons everywhere Looked at clouds that way But now they only block the sun They rain and they snow on everyone So many things I would have done But clouds got in my way I've looked at clouds from both sides now From up and down and still somehow It's cloud illusions I recall I really don't know clouds at all Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels The dizzy dancing way that you feel As every fairy tale comes real I've looked at love that way But now it's just another show And you leave 'em laughing when you go And if you care, don't let them know Don't give yourself away I've looked at love from both sides now From give and take and still somehow It's love's illusions that I recall I really don't know love Really don't know love at all Tears and fears and feeling proud To say, "I love you" right out loud Dreams and schemes and circus crowds I've looked at life that way Oh, but now old friends they're acting strange And they shake their heads and they tell me that I've changed Well something's lost, but something's gained In living every day I've looked at life from both sides now From win and lose and still somehow It's life's illusions I recall I really don't know life at all It's life's illusions that I recall I really don't know life I really don't know life at all
I must really go back to an earlier time, 1969 or so, in the backyard of home, hanging clothes on the line to dry, I remember singing this song as I did my chore. It was one of my favorite songs. I would imagine having my own guitar one day to play and sing it with. Part 1-Both Sides Now, Cindy Lynn ❤️
Normally I'd be pissed to see Cass Elliot in a clip and not singing, but her expression watching Joni sing was like mine. Absolutely mesmerizing from start to finish. Great talent both vocally and lyrically. A rare breed these days.
And it is clear from Joni's face (around 1:16) that Cass did something (either one of her trademark smiles or that 'lost in the music' look you see a little later) that almost threw Joni off track. She then spent quite some time studiously avoiding looking directly at Cass. Until the end of the song, when she appeared to smile at Cass and say something to her.
Wow! Seeing these 3 legends on one stage at the same time! All 3 of these women had incredible voices and charisma for days. These kinds of performers will never be seen again, they were a product of the age. It's a pity so few young people even know who they are.
What a time we live, click of a button, and all the greats of my teenage years at my fingertips: Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Simon and Garfunkel, Joan Baez, Procul Harum, Cat Stevens, James Taylor, Johnny Denver, Kate Bush, The Beatles, Cream, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa. The list goes on and on and on.
Really like your taste, especially Tull and Cream. Add to that Buffalo Springfield, Aretha Franklin, Donovan, and the Stones. There was so much good music coming out then, in all genres, that you couldn't even keep up with it. Music was incredibly important to our generation. Now it seems like wallpaper. People have it on, like a TV they never turn off, but don't really listen to. On the other hand a year ago I taught high school, and a lot of the kids listened to oldies stations. They were especially into Pink Floyd. I was amazed when the whole class sang the song Hit the Road Jack. They knew the words. I think my favorite Joni Mitchell song is Woodstock.
My step father just died of pancreatic cancer this evening and it was my wish that this was the last song he was able to listen to, I was too late and my heart is broken wide open. Joni is so wonderful
I can't listen to this original version without thinking of the remake she did in the 2000s. Now, a much older and experienced woman, with a heavier voice than the girl we see here. An older woman, who after so many years, still doesn't know clouds... at all.
When a musician paints pictures in you mind and they open themselves up to you, the listener, it's truly moving! IDK why, but when I hear her music and voice as she tells her stories, brings tears to my eyes.
I love this so much because I'm just learning to play guitar in my high school. And I feel like this is a whole different group of folk singers from the current ones I listen to. There is something so special and beautiful and raw about this era.. And I think it's so cute to see such influential women (especially Joni) chilling on a stage. :) so glad I'm performing this song this week.
+Oval Teen Good for you for recognizing the beauty of that era, because you're absolutely right: there was nothing like it. It was a time of experimentation and creativity, along with some incredible talent, the likes of which we've seen little of since. I hope your performance was moving, and satisfying. And the very best of luck with your growth on the guitar!
+Oval Teen You should search youtube for Heather Maloney. She is a wonderful singer and songwriter out of Western Mass, and Joni was a huge influence on her. Heather also did a cover of 'Woodstock' along with a band called Darlingside, also worth checking out. Good luck with your guitar playing!
+Oval Teen Joni Mitchell is one of a kind. Sadly, there won't be another Joni Mitchell. Good ol' songwriting and singer all in one. She did it on her terms. Good luck with your playing. Hope you can be like Joni Mitchell, on your terms and your style.
Oh how chilling. Joni Mitchell is such a unique artist. Just as unique as her friend James Taylor. What on Earth was in the water in the '60s and '70s? I think I'll be listening to her album Blue tonight. Thank you dear Joni. 🌱👏🌿
Watched her sing on the Grammys last night and was moved. I'm 70. To see an 80-year-old win Best Folk Album was wonderful!
Not to mention an 80-year old woman with a voice still so strong and solid. She seems as timeless as her music. ❤
@@nancyharrell8697 wanted to say the same - what a beautiful strong voice. I love this song and it makes me cry.
Thank you for your remark.
Does not say much for the future of folk music
She had a stroke months before she performed that I use to view Joni's concerts from the 80's and 90's She was the best 👍
I just saw a magical performance on the 2024 Grammy's. Joni Michell was amazing to listen to after all these decades gone by...
I started searching for elementary school friends. When I reached one, I said I can't believe we haven't spoken for 60 years. We were kids back then. I was looking for sanity and like-mindedness. That's why I'm listening to Joni.
"The dizzy dancing way you feel." They weren't just illusions. This is one of the best songs ever written.
I really can't decide if I prefer this original version or the one she did in 2000, which slowed it down a lot. Her voice is purer, so to speak, here, but the depth of emotion and introspection comes out more in the later version
@@harveymanfredsenjenson5417 I fully agree. I can't decide either. Joni's mature voice packs an palpable emotional punch. I remember noticing the change when Turbulent Indigo came out. The verses played for the movie "Love Actually" would not have been so moving had they been from her youthful recordings -- beautiful as they are.
@@harveymanfredsenjenson5417 yes and the lower key where her voice sits in the later version so poignant and moving
Agree.
The lyrics are amazing aren’t they….
I have loved this song from childhood and at 61 years old it's still perfect...
It just speaks volumes. Should everyone feel their heart touched. Just vocals and a plain stock 1969 wooden acoustic guitar.
So true
I'm a fellow Albertan, from just down the road, Coaldale.
Her lyrics ring true
She is fron Saskatchewan
@@jiwoonlee6636 she went to high school in Saskatoon
She does album covers also
Same
When Mama Cass says "This is my friend Joni Mitchell, and this is my friend Mary Travers", it goes really deep. In the Laurel Canyon scene, Mama Cass was a true friend to so many people, and made so many introductions. If I recall correctly, she introduced Graham Nash to David Crosby and Stephen Stills. Without her, the world of music would have been a lot poorer. If only she were with us now.
Well...she will always be with us.. right...the fine arts ...music..poetry...art..film...if they are fine...they will never leave us ..they are etched into our hearts forever... just saying...
Eric Underwood class of 81 Downey High School California 👍
@Joe Devola whose the Marxist Pedophiles ....how do you come up with that ...you are assuming that Geographic areas are all nothing but evil? So therefore everything including the fine arts is Evil...
Brother you are lost!
I was born not far from Laurel Canyon...in a Los Angeles suburb...
A lot of great talent came from that area... don't you dare stereotype us all...You know what your saying...
Awesomness! Thanks
Apparently, visits at Mama Cass's home were legendary. All of Laurel Canyon came and went. Joni wrote, "Ladies of the Canyon," about her.
So does anyone know who is the 600-pound whale rolling around on the floor in the video? Who is this person?
Take me back..I was 10..Mom and Dad were alive..i was surrounded by friends..I was safe , loved. and wrapped in the magic of the time.
Oh my gosh. You described what I have been thinking recently. I wonder if many other people feel the same.
I was 12. Same.
So perfectly put
Lovely comment ,same memories I was 9
WoW, you have moved me I have nothing more to say. Spain.
I was 15 when watching the original broadcast. Joni Mitchell kept me on my toes.
I am 70 now and there song has a new layer of life and meaning.
MeToo!!!
So sweet. I just turned 70 myself.
Just saw her beautiful performance of this song tonite on The Grammy's ~ 2024❣️
Me too. Brought me to tears.
He was so dignified and poised and sounded amazing 👏 👏👏👏❤⭐
One of those songs where the lyrics grow more powerful the older you get. Beautiful…
Wow-just Wow, watching this after just watching her at 2024 Grammys. A special woman!!!
"This is my friend Joni Mitchell ,This is my friend Mary Travers ............and this is singing".................Says it all really.
NVery nce but wasit not and odd choice to have Mary Travers and Cass just sitting there? Director's choice, I suppose.
@@tornadojoegee I guess we're supposed to imagine what it would be like to have friends this talented sitting around in our living rooms playing music. If only...
Amen!!!!😀
I know, I know, I was like "HOLY FUCKBALLS, BATMAN!". Joni Mitchell, Cass Elliot, and Mary Travers on one stage. That's a shitload of talent.
Mama Cass was a special gal, in her own simple way.
This gives me chills. Incredible. The 60's were a magic vortex opening up, in time, just for a moment. There will never be a period of creativity like it, again.
"Hey man! Do me a solid."
We, meaning us hippies, said this in the 1960's/1970's. Do you know what that means?
@@zyxw2024 Of course! I've been the recipient of many solids! I try to pay it forward too ... the universe gives you back, exactly what you put in to it. Give solids, get solids. Karma is real ☮️
You nailed it!
Yes. We won’t live throughout this again The music
The 70s too, if you were living in the right place. Anyone living in Denton, a small college town in Texas, will know exactly what I mean. All the gays from Dallas, all the shit kickers from Fort Worth, one of the top jazz schools in the country with music everywhere, the most amazing and creative conceptual artists, students streaking through campus day and night, and it was the center for drugs in the entire country. What a crazy menagerie! Definitely a glitch in the matrix.
I’m 75 and this music is still the magic of the song. Peace and love still goes on. ✌️❤️
Me too - 75! And still loving Joni Mitchel!
Yup. We're still out here. We just went underground when Reagan and Gingrich took over.
@@joelstein4657 Oh FFS shut up...
@@ronfrey6639 I'd offer the same advice to you.
😊
She wrote this song when she was still so young... even she herself later said that she felt a bit out of place whenever sang it. She was wise beyond her years... Joni Mitchell, one of a kind.
Yes, she did. I agree, kinda awesome.
I think Joni wrote this song while she was reading a book at the time ( can't remember the book ) and took her inspiration from it.
Reminds me of how Jackson Browne wrote These Days as a teenager. How does someone so young write a line like "Don't confront me with my failures, I have not forgotten them"? Brilliant.
@@richardread8281 - Correct. The song was inspired by a passage in a book Joni was reading while on an airplane. The 1959 novel is called Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow. Per Wikipedia Joni had this to say about writing Both Sides Now: "I was reading on a plane and early in the book the protagonist Henderson is also up in a plane. He's on his way to Africa and he looks down and sees these clouds. I put down the book, looked out the window and saw clouds too and I immediately started writing the song. I had no idea that the song would become as popular as it did."
ua-cam.com/video/aCnf46boC3I/v-deo.html
Such an extraordinary song - 50 years later it and still incredibly moving.
100%
I am in tears listening to this.
Dave van Ronk did a cover, which Joni loved, that gets me every time: ua-cam.com/video/KMhBdIu8gaI/v-deo.html
My favorite Joni song and god knows she has a lot of good ones...
@@joefriedman9843 Universal masterpieces by universal masters.
It's what our soul is longing for.
When one gets to be my age (almost 70), he begins to recognize the truth of these lyrics. There's a sadness for opportunities missed, but also gratefulness for having survived and persevered in this thing called life.
I’m 44 and already starting to feel that...
Same here at 52. We have to learn to accept the good and bad decisions we make in life. This song has touched me most of my life.
This song was really meant to be sung by an older woman with lots of life and years under her belt!
Well said!
Sir, you explained my feeling towards this song so well and I'm only 27. wish you a great life.
Both Sides Now is one of the most perfect songs ever written.
I was lucky enough to see Joni sing this song at the Anaheim Convention center in 1973 with someone I love. As we were leaving someone said "this is where she'll go to catch her limo".No one believed them but we stood and waited anyway and sure enough in a few minutes Joni appeared and stopped to greet her faithful fans. A moment I'll never forget.
Oh, how wonderful. 😊
I was 21 in 69.. and still listening.. . Flower Power
It's a very powerful song.. two sides to every story
I was 13 in 1969, and this song is still one of my favourites after all of these years.
She looks like an angel singing this beautiful song.
+Thomas Gill i was just thinking exactly the same thing
+Thomas Gill EXACTLY! joni mitchell was thee"angel queen" of california genius
+james knight
lol...Joni was Canadian, born and raised.
+james knight words and music
+Thomas Gill She is stunning. Every word to describe a beautiful woman fits her; stunning, striking, breathtaking, sexy, foxy, babe, cute, pretty, heart breaking, voluptuous, the list goes on. She takes a backseat to my X girlfriend Claudia Schiffer even.
Her face is beautiful.
Her voice is a beautiful
Her songs are beautiful
She is one of the most talented songwriters and singers that ever lived but she is so underrated .
She's underrated? Or just not a pop princess?
She’s not underrated. We all acknowledge her brilliance. We’re all in awe of her brilliance. There’s Joni, then there’s everyone else.
As all these years race by, Joni's songwriting is indelible. Just relevant to the heart as ever.
only underrated by [ep[;e who gauges in the temperament of ignorance and lack of knowledge of music.
@@howbalt I would absolutely place Kate Bush right alongside Joni. They are the two pillars.
Who’s listening in 2024
I listened to this right after Joni’s performance on the Grammys.
2024 and still showing how it is done.
I'm listening and I was born this Mama Cass show was broadcast 🎩
My mother watched this. She loved Joni and always watched Mama Cass. No wonder I was a huge fan of hers and the storytellers of the 70s, Carole King, Jim Croche, Harry Chapin, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and Carly Simon to name a few.
During times of chaos and insanity, I needed this. I looked for it after watching her sing on the 2024 Grammys twice. Meryl Streep and her daughter were in the audience. I think you may want to ask a tearful Streep daughter, why she was in tears (as we were). Transports us back to better times.
At 76, I grew up listening to the incredible music of Joni. A music track to my life.
I've never seen this clip before so I watched Mama Cass introduce her friend. The goosebumps started instantly the lump in the throat after 30 seconds the tears after a minute. I'm a 57 year old man and not much moves me these days but this did.
Echo. Same here.
I understand, me too. 💕
Ditto buddy....57 too
Ditto again n I’m 60.
Me too, man. Me too.
One of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. What a talented artist.
Look up Sally Barker's performance of this song. It's also really beautiful. :)
@@cirrus8791 Or Randy Scruggs version circle be unbroken.. Quite something..
Starman 2112 I listened to this at different age by Joni, all so different, she grew with this song xx
@@cirrus8791 Judy Collins is too.
Joni wrote it when she was only 25 years old. Such a depth of understanding about life and yet sophisticated maturity.
Great point. She wrote from a depth of understanding and feeling that most people twice her age could not grasp.
So very true. Same thing amazes me about Lennon and McCartney. Writing Eleanor Rigby, Yesterday, Help! at 24/25?? Amazing.
Nearly a thousand have recorded negative comments.........what planet are these people on !!??.... Joni is an amazing artist and this song is hers.......
Apparently u read them all...what planet r u from
I love my Mom. She was 39 when this song came out. It was her favorite song. God, i miss you Mom. 🙏🙄
I lost my Mom, my Dad, my 3 brothers, 2 sisters, 4 help including the cook, 2 visiting neighbors and 5 different pets - all in a devastating grade fire. They all loved Joni Mitchell.
My god, I love them all...
Not only is the melody incredible but her RHYTHM is literally perfect. What a pleasure to watch X
She perfected phrasing
Magical voice, it’s still mesmerizing to hear again years later. Yes! As a guitar player I love her rhythm. Unique and spot on. Wonderful!
There is a transcendence and a purity of her form of art. Her voice was angelic and could span registers, she wrote sublime poetry. Music like this elevates the soul and that is what makes it art.
Nicely worded, thank you. I like the word transcendent...
Yep, also, she was in "D" Tuning,, the timing for anybody else would have been a nightmare.
She was also stunningly beautiful...
75350v8 Yes she was! I wonder how tall she is. Google is my friend, right?
I wish I could write like you.
Beautiful, poetic lyrics and a crystal clear, pleasant voice. Joni is considered a legend for a reason, she is one. Beautiful poetic songwriting and an amazingly nice voice 💛
Those were the greatest days ever, you would had to be there to understand how golden those days were.
for us gen xers the 80s were our golden days
It's a very powerful song
Amazing to think that in these early days, Joni had only just begun her voyage of genius. Hard to believe that Hejira, Court and Spark and the rest of her wonderful catalogue were still inside this beautiful woman's mind. Or perhaps we knew, right from the start, that we would be embarking on a life long journey with one of the truly great poets of our time.
What a lovely and poetic comment.
Wonderful poet
We knew ...
Joni, You had us at "...moons and June's and Ferris wheels..." Such a voice. Such a great poet. Thank you.
Minor correction Junes, not June's. Means several years.
We old geezers, as we are now, weren't wrong about these beautiful ladies. Joni was adorable and so gifted.
We use to be children of the 60s.What great music we were brought up on
Who's the 600-pound whale rolling around on the floor?
2022 crying because it was a dream song many yrs ago and I had to ask my cousin. I said the cloud song and sang it. And she said oh. Joni Mitchell. Ohhhh yeah. I don't see any family anymore. My angels guide me instead
Joni's got the voice of an angel. Makes me proud to be Canadian. Timeless song.
@Greg Jacques The world needs more Canada.
And the Tim Horton's coffee is great too... I can watch Joni and put in my TH K-cup and have a mellow time.
Me 2
Beyond words to express my felling for her.❤
Met Anne Murray's parents in Nova Scotia where I lived. Very friendly and wanting to hear other's stories. Canadians are great people. I'm from Mississippi.
Has to be one of the finest songs ever written. Always makes me cry.
My childhood summarized in a beautiful song..............ice cream castles in the air takes me back to that magical time in life. After loosing lost loved ones I can still go back to this song and think of all the wonderful a simple time.........
The 2024 Grammys brought me here ...... listening from Oak Cliff, TX ❤
First time I've ever heard this song. It is so beautiful. Her voice is also beautiful. I need to start listening to her music.
Samara Shelp Be prepared for a lifetime love. Like 3 years constantly listening- approximaately ----
I hope you do....she really changed my life....really thoughtful ,wonderful and sad songs that are so true. I started listening her in 1969......so that makes me a younger than Joni.......er i was 14.
Yeah. I'm only 20. But she is great. Defiantly a legend and truly talented. Wish I could write songs like her.
Samara Shelp This song was a hit for another singer named Judy Collins. You might enjoy her recording of it, especially the "hit version" on UA-cam. If you watch Mad Men, this song was the closing for "In Care of" - season 6, episode 13. As noted by another commenter below, it's got a "happier" sound, though even as a little kid it made me sad, so I think the melancholy come through in both versions. Love them both.
Tracymmo Nah. The one who wrote it sounds the best. There is a reason for it working that way.
This song always makes me cry. Every time.
Scott McGillivray I'm with you. Every time. That's because you are listening to one of the true genius musicians of our lifetime. The emotional connection is real because her use of her poetry blends perfectly with her music and of course with her incredible voice. If you lose yourself in her words you find the joy, confusion, pain and mystery of life. Her writing and music are so soulfully raw and transparent. Raw, yet so beautifully refined. And this is just one song. Nobody in popular music in years has come close to writing one song at this level of inspired musicianship. And she's written MANY songs of this greatness. I don't think most people realize just how incredible Joni Mitchell is.
Robert Mayer You said everything about Joni that needs to be said.
Robert Mayer wasn't she special!
Scott McGillivray me too!!! every time
Scott McGillivray me too; you aren't alone Joni was my hero right from the first time I heard that incredibly beautiful voice. Okay, so I was a little envious that she could hit notes I couldn't reach with a ladder.... but Joni just had such a wonderful vocal range & in all these years I've yet to hear a voice I loved as much as hers.
Doesn't get much better than this. What a heart song. She had the magic.
+Scott Carlson You're so right. I would loved to have seen her live. I doubt she'll tour again. A flawless artist. XXX
I saw her live in 1974 in South Bend Indiana. She had made a bet with one of her tour men that Notre Dame would beat UCLA and Bill Walton, to support the underdog. ND did beat UCLA ending their 88 game winning streak, which made her even more of a favorite with the crowd, although she had my heart for many years beforehand. She was beautiful, musically perfect, winning, and wonderful and after over 40 years I remember her coming on stage like it was yesterday. Here's to you, Joni, the best of the best.
try hard to not be a dumb moron Tom Dilbert, try hard
He's just an 11 year old troll who grabbed a hold of mummy's iPad. Pay him no heed.
I absolutely love this human being, she is amazing. A great artist this has true depth, a great voice and something to say to the world. It’s a pleasure to live in the same world has Joni.
I remember the hit Judy Collins had with this and always thought she sang it beautifully. Then, I heard Joni sing it on the Johnny Cash Show and was totally blown away. I can't describe how this song makes me feel.
Me, too. Judy did a beautiful job of it, too. I understand Joni wrote it as a reply to Sugar Mountain. I'm not sure its true or not, but it seems as if it could be.
That would make perfect sense.
apparently it is she was friends with fellow Canadian Neil Young who was depressed for turning 20
Tara Greene she wrote "Circle Game for Neil---after he wrote "Sugar Mountain "
james geiger I love both Joni and Judy’s renditions.
It is beyond what I can comprehend how Joni wrote such a intrinsically meaningful song that most people would not understand until their elder years at such a young age...A gift from heaven she is.
And when she sang it at her own tribute it was a thousands times more intense and beautiful. Amazing.
So true, I cry thinking & hearing, feeling this song. So beautiful, so true..
True. It's only really meant anything to me in my 50s, and become so true. She was wise beyond her years .
At 80 I agree.
@@Tallinheels Me too (at 82).
I don't know how I managed in my almost 53 years on this earth to miss such a truthful, wise beyond measure and utterly beautiful song....I am now just grateful I finally found it....I too really don't know life, at all
Better later than never, it's tricky to keep up with current music when you're still in utero. ;-)
I'm grateful to be able to easily watch recordings of performances such as this that I didn't have access to half a century ago!
Me neither!
Listening in 2023! Always have been, always will be! Joni has the voice of an angel and her songs are incredible! This one and Case of You have to be my favorites!!
It is hard to imagine that there was a time when music was this beautiful.
kenmtb -- = well said the drug culture has taken the heart of music to a dark place = can we bring it back to a brighter place = i am trying.
@@ronnieboucherthecrystalcraftsm The lack of culture ruined it, so don't blame the substances, blame us people. We just watched it happen and did nothing to stop it. I remember my mother's music collection, Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis, Sammy Davis Jr., etc. Today's music just isn't very good, especially when compared to my mother's era I remember my parents going to the Latin Casino (South Jersey) to see the Jackson's when Michael was about 6 years old, my mother loved him.
The music was beautiful but times were crazy then, as crazy as now or more.
@@ronnieboucherthecrystalcraftsm - and The Twin Curses of 'Digital Enhancement' and 'Digital Remastering' ... just as video killed the radio star so computer enginners are killing REAL MUSIC !
I for one am so very glad and grateful to have known 'The Real Thing'
I am happy that i was a teenager in the 70ths. They even brought music like this in radio every day.
I used to listen to this song when I was a kid and it would resonate with me.. even as a child. 40+ years later? its lifes illusions I recall. I really dont know life... at all.
+lambchopxoxo "but life... is for learning." I don't think we get the totality of the answer until we reach for the golden ring at the end of the ride. And even then, the answers are for we alone. Only the chosen few become enlightened and then get the opportunity to return and share that light with those still in the dark.
Three giants of folk/pop on one stage. Music's version of heaven.
Child troll. Go to sleep now and stay off mummy's computer. Nighty night...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
true talent only appears with true talent . jeff i agree with you, none of these artists needed to appear with lesser talents.
childhood memories looking back in time and hearing great songs like this keeps your mind forever Young.
Two giants of folk/pop on one stage, and one giant imposter.
My wife says, you couldn't get better than this. So wonderfully talented women on the stage. This was when we could hear the words of songs, and artists could write, and play a musical instrument !
Beautiful lyrics and melody..a voice with such a range..The days of singer songwriters like Joni Mitchell John Denver Gordon Lightfoot are gone..But I still get goosebumps listening to them.
Gordon's still alive. He played Massey Hall last month.
Indeed, goosebumps. Still. However, I don't believe the days of singer/songwriters/performers are over, only that they're less likely to break through to a wider audience and at my age I just don't seem to have the motivation to search out unique new talent from obscure sources (kind of like the law of diminishing returns, with all the amazing innovation over prior decades getting harder to equal, and a limit on how much you can keep previous innovations fresh).
Joni Mitchell. Such a gem. This version of Both Sides Now goes straight to the heart.
Joni is a genius. Mary Travers, the strong female lead from Peter Paul and Mary, and the wonderful undeniable Cass. All three women irreplaceable pioneers. Only Joni remains now.
Is it just me or does music like this make you long for days gone by...
Yes it certainly does ❤️
no it doesn't there's still beautiful music being made today. But it does remind me of my youth
You aren't alone in that longing …
Yes indeed Brian, powerfully so...
I'm 45 and cry every time I hear it.
Such beautiful tone & vibrato, head voice & transition into chest, with such beauty in lower register. Some of her songs, like this one, pull my heart out & give me chills.
Amazing, no effects, no computerized garbage, pure music. thanks Joni..... : )
Simply talent..no need to strip off and act like a porn star.
I loved the record but she seems to sound even better here
Yep so true
And where on Earth will we ever again see such a concentration of musical talent in one place? Mama Cass, Joni Mitchell, and Mary Travers? Seriously? Top that, 2020!!!!!!!!!!
exactly!
You won't see it on TV channels, that's for sure. There are nuggets on UA-cam... people like Carson McKee, Josh Turner, Billy Strings and others who are genuinely talented and worth supporting.
A little too much liberal estrogen on that stage for me.
But about niki minaj?!!
C Cr yeah but that was back when liberals were open minded and tolerant and estrogen producers didn’t blame men for everything. I still love Joni’s music and have utmost respect for her talent and originality. Also still love PP&Ms music.
How does anything that beautiful ever manage to exist in this old dirt world?
It would struggle now, but that was why some of us adored the 1970s. I lived in California in the mid 70s and it was a magical time to have a childhood there.
This song was on the air in the 1960's. The pilot show was recorded in 1969 but her song came out prior to this recording.
the world is, and always has been beautiful. joni mitchell's music is just that much more beautiful than the rest of it all
Well I guess not all the world is dirt and concrete.
There is love in the world, but it's hard to find.
The way that Joni smiled when she was introduced melted my heart.
How much I love you Joni Mitchell.. I am 65... you have always been with me...love ladies of the canyons... like me in my hippy days..went to see you many times in concert...💟💟💟💟💟
Amazing to think of the "musical couples" in the canyon at that time. Stephen Stills and Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell and Graham Nash. Joni even hooked up with David Crosby for a time, in south Florida.
When Joni is introduced, and gives us that beautiful big smile, i can't help but smile myself every time, and feel happy. What an amazing piece of music.x
It’s strange how music back in the sixties was just about the song. Mostly performers these days get in the way of their own art by making themselves more important than the songs.
And have to flash their bodies to make up for their lack of talent.
it's not as if this didn't exist back then... glamrock stars definitely weren't JUST about the song ;)
@@Ilma1984 I wrote “back in the sixties” Glam Rock is a seventies phenomenon.
You know it's funny, I was born in the 70s, but I listened to a lot of 60s music as a child, and I was just saying the other day, "the music of that era was about the music, and love, and understanding, and coming together, and community, and ending war. It wasn't about 'me or I' it wasn't about the money or fame. That's why it'll never be replicated, the younger generation is too wrapped up in their ego, their fame.... I call it Kardashian-itis.
@@greywolf393 I agree 100 percent. I don’t think younger people understand the culture of the sixties. How can they? It was a unique time for musical change and political and social engagement. The industry that grew out of the seventies and eighties was very different to the industry that grew out of the folk, skiffle, early rock n roll etc. Frank Zappa sums it up in that interview where he talks about the way the role of record executives changed from facilitating the artist to turning them into cash cows. If you get a chance look up Two or Three Spectres by Peter Hammill. Look up the lyrics too. It sums up the poisonous commercial music industry perfectly.
Just hearing the way Mama Cass said "this is my FRIEND" about Mitchell made me tear up
My grade 12 English teacher taught me this song and the underlining meaning of the song. Time flies and I will turn 65 in September....still love this song and certainly hope my English teacher Miss Hung still alive a well.
I'm 65 now and still remember Miss Booth in Freshman English listening to the poetry of Simon and Garfunkel. She was young and so were we........I can feel myself in the classroom with her heartfelt enthusiasm for the words. We were fortunate to have these teachers King Sole.
Back in the early 1960's my parents where returning from a weekend in Wasaga Beach when they stopped for gas near Orillia. The attendant asked if they could give his friend a lift to Toronto. Shy, polite kid with curly hair and a guitar case, A few years ĺatet they where watching the CBC when they saw the very same fellow singing on a variety show. Gordon Lightfoot.
...the GREAT Gordon Lightfoot
Shy and polite?
@@jimzeleny7213 I was at his concert many years, and it started to rain. I was in the open area and he invited us to fill in the covered area. He was very polite. I imagine he could raise hell too though.
Wasaga Beach ... on Georgian Bay. Great place in the summer.
And Gordon too is great.
The true mark of a singer is the live performance. No flashy add ons. Joni’s voice was a true gift - to us!
live my ass, you are deaf and blind
This is of historical interest and one of the most beautiful songs of that genre ever written. I saw it superbly performed in Canada by another Canadian - Judy Collins. Long may it be around for future generations to enjoy.
This song makes me cry for some reasons that I dont know. It touches my heart for real!
50 years on and still one of the greatest songs ever written.
It was recently named the best Canadian song ever!!! So proud she's my cousin!!🖤🖤
Why do I have to cry every time I hear this song? There has never been anything recorded more beautiful, sad, and thoughtful as this. The most underrated singer/songwriter of them all.
Underrated... for a reason!
She is not underrated in my book … she is without peer as a female songwriter, singer, and musician … I love her music, especially the albums "Song To A Seagull", "Blue", and my all-time favorite, "For The Roses" … thank you for your love and sharing and talent Joni Mitchell!!!
I saw this in 1969 and now again in 2024. Love these ladies forever. 👏🏽💙✌🏽
What was so special about these times were the people who were still alive then: my wonderful grandparents, other relatives and friends gone, my amazing teachers, the neighborhood kids, the endless summer days, riding in the back of pick-ups, going to the movies every Saturday, the list goes on...this song helps capture some of that
Beautiful words
Never forgotten...this was my time. Beautiful memories from a bygone time that was perfect in every way. Looking back from August 2020 and sad we can't have this time back again. Pandemic..Covid 19 how sad our lives are forever changed. God gave us the best era ever xx
Music is at it's most sublime when it moves your heart and touches your soul. This song is one of those it is timeless and immortal
Timeless beauty- song construction- lyrics- performer and performance.
I've looked at many of the comments below, and most are touched by Joni Mitchell's beauty, lyrics and voice -- all of which are astonishing in a single package. However, almost no comments mention her guitar playing. Although her guitar playing is not flashy in this song, she took guitar tunings to a different universe and in the process became one of the all-time great guitar players. You get some of the droning quality of her unusual guitar tunings in this song -- and I mean that in a good way.
My point is: Not only was she beautiful, had an amazing voice and wrote poetry and accessible melodies, she was also a goddess on guitar -- one of the all-time greats. If you find a list of the 100 all-time best guitarists, there's a good chance she's on that list.
You are spot on Bob, Joni's guitar playing is on par with Neil Young here, and I'm a big Neil fan.
She's just an all around genius. Have you seen her paintings? Sure you have, they're her album covers...
I loved that guitar sound at the first note!!!
she has unusual tunings because she contracted polio when she was young and it affected mobility in her fingers, so she had to create new tunings that her fingers could hold. You're right tho, she's absolutely sublime and this made her really innovative with harmonies and progressions because she wasn't using the standard tuning.
Also, she's fantastic on piano and zither too.
Yes but do you know why she played that way?
I've been taken back to watching my mum get dressed for work in the 70s while songs like these came on the radio. My parents LP collection is still very large and I bawl my eyes out hearing songs like this because the emotions surge in me if the gratitude I have for my parents offering the gift of music to my childhood - music that exposed my brother and I to such an amazing diverse collection.
I knew this song very well by the time I was 8. I see so many comments from people who seem to miss out on other genres of music. This song is absolutely beautiful, in all it's versions, but it's the lyrics that have touched my soul. Songwriters have a special gift to convey human emotion and understanding on a global scale - irrespective of cultural background. I challenge those reading this to widen your scope of music - you may surprise yourself at what touches your heart. Folk, rock, reggae, jazz, soul, country classical, rhythm and blues, rap, funk, house, punk etc all have a purpose. Where would we be in this world without the release music can bring!?
I think no song better sums up Joni's incredible body of work than this one, written all the way at the beginning when she was still in her early twenties and wise beyond on her years. What a profound and beautiful song, and perfect performance. It almost brings me to tears.
Nicely said.
@@stockvaluedotcom Joni's body really wasn't that incredible.Too skinny.
@@melaniecotterell9972 She had polio as a child, go easy Melanie.
@@melaniecotterell9972 So how many kilos are you, Melanie?
I whole-heartedly agree, Dapper Dave. I've always loved this song. Planning to learn to hopefully play it on Flute.
The up & down of her voice on the musical scale makes her phenomenal !😀
Rows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
Looked at clouds that way
But now they only block the sun
They rain and they snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all
Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way that you feel
As every fairy tale comes real
I've looked at love that way
But now it's just another show
And you leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know
Don't give yourself away
I've looked at love from both sides now
From give and take and still somehow
It's love's illusions that I recall
I really don't know love
Really don't know love at all
Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say, "I love you" right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at life that way
Oh, but now old friends they're acting strange
And they shake their heads and they tell me that I've changed
Well something's lost, but something's gained
In living every day
I've looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all
It's life's illusions that I recall
I really don't know life
I really don't know life at all
I must really go back to an earlier time, 1969 or so, in the backyard of home, hanging clothes on the line to dry, I remember singing this song as I did my chore. It was one of my favorite songs. I would imagine having my own guitar one day to play and sing it with. Part 1-Both Sides Now, Cindy Lynn ❤️
Hello dear,how are you doing,how is the weather today?
Normally I'd be pissed to see Cass Elliot in a clip and not singing, but her expression watching Joni sing was like mine. Absolutely mesmerizing from start to finish. Great talent both vocally and lyrically. A rare breed these days.
You can see her mouthing along at 3:43
And it is clear from Joni's face (around 1:16) that Cass did something (either one of her trademark smiles or that 'lost in the music' look you see a little later) that almost threw Joni off track. She then spent quite some time studiously avoiding looking directly at Cass. Until the end of the song, when she appeared to smile at Cass and say something to her.
Wow! Seeing these 3 legends on one stage at the same time!
All 3 of these women had incredible voices and charisma for days.
These kinds of performers will never be seen again, they were a product of the age. It's a pity so few young people even know who they are.
An angel’s voice, Shakespeare’s word flow, and cheekbones of a Hepburn.
Well said!
Right on❤
She makes it look so effortless, from her playing to her singing, yet she is brilliant beyond words. What a profound talent.
..."and this is singing"....you ain't kiddin' mamma!
Me. I am 68 years old and this song struck me the same way it did the first time I heard it. Gave me goose bumps all over.
What a time we live, click of a button, and all the greats of my teenage years at my fingertips: Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Simon and Garfunkel, Joan Baez, Procul Harum, Cat Stevens, James Taylor, Johnny Denver, Kate Bush, The Beatles, Cream, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa. The list goes on and on and on.
Really like your taste, especially Tull and Cream. Add to that Buffalo Springfield, Aretha Franklin, Donovan, and the Stones. There was so much good music coming out then, in all genres, that you couldn't even keep up with it. Music was incredibly important to our generation. Now it seems like wallpaper. People have it on, like a TV they never turn off, but don't really listen to. On the other hand a year ago I taught high school, and a lot of the kids listened to oldies stations. They were especially into Pink Floyd. I was amazed when the whole class sang the song Hit the Road Jack. They knew the words. I think my favorite Joni Mitchell song is Woodstock.
I find myself on Spotify going straight to the lists of Vietnam War Music, Legendary, 60's Classics, 70's Rock. Love all your suggestions.
@@steveneardley7541 Of course. DONOVAN! 'Catch the wind'
I like all of them, I would add to the list Nick Drake, Gene Clark, Townes Van Zandt, John Martyn and Donovan
My step father just died of pancreatic cancer this evening and it was my wish that this was the last song he was able to listen to, I was too late and my heart is broken wide open. Joni is so wonderful
So sorry. I hope he is well where he is now.
@@cf7697 Thanks so much
TB, depending on your beliefs, you could still play it for him, and send his spirit some love....so sorry for your loss.
Same thing took my dad.
I wish I’d played music for him.
Broken though it may be, you have a good heart T B. Blessings on you.
I can't listen to this original version without thinking of the remake she did in the 2000s. Now, a much older and experienced woman, with a heavier voice than the girl we see here. An older woman, who after so many years, still doesn't know clouds... at all.
When a musician paints pictures in you mind and they open themselves up to you, the listener, it's truly moving!
IDK why, but when I hear her music and voice as she tells her stories, brings tears to my eyes.
Me too! The song touches the soul and mind. So beautiful!!
She takes a microscope to the human condition and still manages to soothe the furrowed brow. So revealing of her inner self, very brave and out there.
Nice comment
well said
I love this so much because I'm just learning to play guitar in my high school. And I feel like this is a whole different group of folk singers from the current ones I listen to. There is something so special and beautiful and raw about this era.. And I think it's so cute to see such influential women (especially Joni) chilling on a stage. :) so glad I'm performing this song this week.
+Oval Teen Good for you for recognizing the beauty of that era, because you're absolutely right: there was nothing like it. It was a time of experimentation and creativity, along with some incredible talent, the likes of which we've seen little of since. I hope your performance was moving, and satisfying. And the very best of luck with your growth on the guitar!
+Oval Teen You should search youtube for Heather Maloney. She is a wonderful singer and songwriter out of Western Mass, and Joni was a huge influence on her. Heather also did a cover of 'Woodstock' along with a band called Darlingside, also worth checking out. Good luck with your guitar playing!
+Oval Teen Joni Mitchell is one of a kind. Sadly, there won't be another Joni Mitchell. Good ol' songwriting and singer all in one. She did it on her terms. Good luck with your playing. Hope you can be like Joni Mitchell, on your terms and your style.
Steven Baker
Thanks, man. She's quite the inspiration.
Good for you & love your name! I used to drink Oviltine in the 60s or 70s.
Oh how chilling. Joni Mitchell is such a unique artist. Just as unique as her friend James Taylor. What on Earth was in the water in the '60s and '70s?
I think I'll be listening to her album Blue tonight.
Thank you dear Joni.
🌱👏🌿
Came here from the Grammys. This is THE song.
So did I😊
Me too. Just magical.
So beautiful, what an incredible talent, her voice is angelic, such a great time to be musician.
If you're watching in 2019, 50... Correct, 50th anniversary of this happening, can you find a thumbs up?
Beautiful
Brilliant
Nice. Have a thumb, UncleJim!
yep this great song is not easy to jam too,, just saying her timing is amazing
Beautiful, so beautiful
For me this woman is the greatest female artist in music history, so beautiful here both inside and out...what talent!
Listening today 2021 with a lump in my throat, and a tear in my eye, from a 62 year old UK male
I can’t keep my mind on the song Mary Travis has put a lump in my pants not my throat
61 year old California dreamer here.