Hi Kate, >Ultimately, no one but Joni can say what or who her songs are really about & I don't know if she >ever has said so publicly.
Sometimes she has spoken publicly about her real life expereiences that inspired a song, such as "Big Yellow Taxi" (visiting an increasing paved-over Oahu); "Night Ride Home" (driving alongside Larry one night on Maui), "Man From Mars" (when Nietzsche the cat ran away), Woodstock (watching it from afar on TV), "Furry Sings the Blues" (her visit with the ailing Furry Lewis) and even "Empty, Try Another" (about an empty cigarette machine outside a recording studio whose "kerchunk" sound was later sampled on that song ;-) On many of her early taped "coffee-house" performances between songs she has chatted about some of the real life characters in her songs, including "Carey," the friend who inspired "Winter Lady," Rose from "Roses Blue" and others. Some of the songs we can easily guess about like "Little Green" (about giving up Kiluaren for adoption), "Dawntreader" (about her time with Crosby in Florida) "Willy" (Graham Nash's childhood and given name) and half of the "Wild Things Run Fast" album which celebrates her newfound love with Larry. Hearing her talk about the real story behind some of the songs only enhances them for me, too. Kakki
