JONI'S ENGLISH - BOTH SIDES NOW

Ez Joni Mitchell egyik leghíresebb dala. Hozzám nem áll különösen közel, de azért szeretem időnként meghallgatni. A Love Actually című filmben is szerepelt egy későbbi változata, abban a részben, amikor Emma Thompson rájön, hogy a férje más nőt szeret. Joni hangja a dohányzás miatt nagyon hamar megérdesedett, ahogy a film betétdalában is hallatszik. Én a korai felvételeit szeretem, amiken olyan tiszta a hangja, mint ezen is. Nem hibátlan, nem precíz, de végtelenül őszinte, átélt, átérzett és szeretett ez az előadásmód.

Joni Mitchell

Both Sides Now

Rows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I've looked at clouds that way


But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way


Oh 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 you feel
As every fairy tale comes real
Oh I've looked at love that way


But now it's just another show
You leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know
No, 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 I recall
Oh I 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


But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Well something's lost, but something's gained
In living every day


Oh I've looked at life from both sides now
From win and loose and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all

Szavak:

row - sor

flow - folyam, áramlás

canyon - szurdok

recall - emlékezni

Ferris wheel - óriáskerék

Don't give yourself away - Ne áruld el magad

scheme - terv

CALIFORNIA

Ez a dal különösen kedves nekem, mert az első volt, amit Jonitól hallottam. Európai útjáról énekel benne, és arról, hogy mennyire vágyik már vissza a választott otthonába, Kaliforniába. 

Joni Mitchell

California

(Little trivia there...)

Sitting in a park in Paris, France
Reading the news and it's all bad
They won't give peace a chance
That was just a dream some of us had
Still a lot of lands to see
But I wouldn't wanna stay here
It's too old and cold and settled in its ways here
Oh, but California
California, I'm coming home
I'm gonna see the folks I dig
I'll even kiss a Sunset pig
California when I get home

I met a redneck on a Grecian isle
Who did the goat dance very well
He gave me back my smile
But he kept my camera to sell
Oh the rogue, the red red rogue
He cooked good omelettes and stews
And I might have stayed on with him there
But my heart cried out for you, California
Oh California, I'm coming home
Oh make me feel good rock'n'roll band
I'm your biggest fan
California, I'm coming home

Oh it gets so lonely
When you're walking
And the streets are full of strangers
All the news of home you read
Just gives you the blues

So I bought a ticket
I caught a plane to Spain
Went to a party down a red dirt road
There were lots of pretty people there
Reading Rolling Stone, reading Vogue
They said, "How long can you hang around?"
I said "A week, maybe two,
Just until my skin turns brown
Then I'm going home to California"
Oh California I'm coming, I'm coming home
Oh will you take me as I am
Strung out on another man
California I'm coming home

Oh it gets so lonely
When you're walking
And the streets are full of strangers
All the news of home you read
More about the war
And the bloody changes
Oh will you take me as I am

Will you take me as I am
Oh will you take me as I am

Oh take me as I am

Szavak:

trivia - apróság [mert lehangolódott a citerája]

settled in its ways - megszokott, változatlan, egyhangú

folks I dig - haverok, emberek, akiket bírok

kiss the Sunset pig - [sok interpretáció kering arról, mit jelenthet a "napnyugta-malac" megcsókolása]

redneck - Az USA déli államaiból származó munkás, proletár

Grecian - görög

rogue - gazfickó

omelette and stew - omlett és kb. pörkölt
dirt road - földút 

How long can you hang around? - Meddig maradsz?
strung out - függőnek, betegnek, "beállva" lenni (drogtól)
strung out on another man - egy újabb pasiba zúgva

JONI'S ENGLISH 1 - MY OLD MAN

A kedvenc zenészem Joni Mitchell. 1943-ban született Kanadában, ma Dél-Kaliforniában él és dolgozik zeneszerzőként, előadóként és festőként.

Elsőnek álljon itt egy könnyed szám, egyszerű szöveggel - a BBC élő felvétele 1970-ből. Azt szeretem ebben a klipben, hogy tisztán látszik, Joni mennyire élvezi, amit csinál.

Joni Mitchell: My Old Man

My old man
He's a singer in the park
He's a walker in the rain
He's a dancer in the dark
We don't need no piece of paper
From the city hall
Keeping us tied and true
No, my old man
Keeping away my blues

But when he's gone
Me and them lonesome blues collide
The bed's too big
The frying pan's too wide

But he comes home
And he takes me in his loving arms
And he tells me all his troubles
And he tells me all my charms
We don't need no piece of paper
From the city hall
Keeping us tied and true
No, my old man
Keeping away my blues

But when he's gone
Me and them lonesome blues collide
The bed's too big
The frying pan's too wide

Szavak:

my old man - kb. az emberem

collide - összeütközik