anyway! i was a little disheartened as i listened to the husband rattle off his list because, frankly, there were no women. so, of course, i had to demand, "WHAT ABOUT JONI MITCHELL?!?" because, obviously, no discussion about the aforementioned topic can be held without adding joni's name to the list. and he had to agree, because, hello! joni mitchell can be found in pretty much every female singer-songwriter's music nowadays. in fact, i hazard to guess if anyone polled the women working in the music industry today (no matter what genre they're in), they'd cite joni as an influence.
yes, i am perhaps one of those stereotypical women who find joni mitchell to be just a shade underneath goddess status. but it is totally worthy. her music is to us women what bob dylan's is to men. she is a poet, an artist, a magician, and a genius.
her music speaks in ways so many others fail to.
i'm going to go out on a limb here (a confidant one, though) and say her brilliant a case of you is perhaps one of the most perfect songs ever written. the first time i heard this song, nearly two decades ago, i felt like i'd been overtaken by a tidal wave. all i could do was sit back and let it take me out to sea. a case of you is beauty - poetry mixed with gorgeous, simple guitar chords. this is no song about hot boys or girls, friends, nor is it about tight pants, getting jiggy with it, or ice cream on sunny days. it is about an extremely messy and complex emotion - love - and it's told in a way that's real without insulting your intelligence. and this is what sets joni mitchell apart from so many others, and what so many people strive to do, even now. she's even got a spot on her website that lists 150 songs inspired by her, plus 40 tribute albums, and 48 songs about her. and, of course, there are the covers - to name just a few: both sides now has been covered 727 times, big yellow taxi 288 times, river 224 times, and a case of you 172 times.
she's the real deal, peeps.
so sit back, close your eyes, and give a case of you a listen. think of it as art, and when it comes to take you, let it. i never can resist this song, even now, decades after first hearing it. every single listening only confirms what i already assumed about this song.
just before our love got lost, you said,
"i am as constant as a northern star."
and i said, "constantly in the darkness -
where's that at?
if you want me, i'll be in the bar."
on the back of a cartoon coaster,
in the blue TV screen light,
i drew a map of canada:
oh, canada!
with your face sketched on it twice.
oh, you're in my blood like holy wine.
you taste so bitter and so sweet.
oh i could drink a case of you, darling,
and i would still be on my feet.
oh, i would still be on my feet.
oh, i am a lonely painter,
i live in a box of paints.
i'm frightened by the devil
and i'm drawn to those ones that ain't afraid.
i remember that time that you told me,
you said,
"love is touching souls."
surely you touched mine,
'cause part of you pours out of me
in these lines from time to time.
oh, you're in my blood like holy wine.
you taste so bitter and so sweet.
oh i could drink a case of you, darling,
still i'd be on my feet.
i would still be on my feet.
i met a woman:
she had a mouth like yours,
she knew your life,
she knew your devils and your deeds.
and she said,
"go to him, stay with him if you can,
but be prepared to bleed."
oh, but you are in my blood you're my holy wine.
you're so bitter, bitter and so sweet.
oh, i could drink a case of you, darling,
still i'd be on my feet.
i would still be on my feet.
(mp3) a case of you by joni mitchell
here's a video of her performing it - even after her voice changed over the years, she's still amazing.
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