For the benefit of those who have been lurking this year, here are a few clever "updates" to Joni's lyrics that I've noted this year...........
1. Bryan Thomas ------------------------------------- Venue: 2000's JoniFest in New Orleans (also known as "PazFest") Okay, admittedly this one's not new but this recording has, ahem, recently come to light. (Michael of New Orleans will be happy to hook you up with the 2-CD set for a $30 donation to the non-profit to benefit burn victims via the Ruth Paz Foundation. There's a prominent link on www.jmdl.com ) The song is "Black Crow". Joni wrote: > There's a crow flying Black and ragged Tree to tree He's black as the highway that's leading me Now he's diving down To pick up on something shiny I feel like that black crow Flying In a blue sky I took a ferry to the highway Then I drove to a pontoon plane I took a plane to a taxi And a taxi to a train. > *********** Bryan sang: > I took a ferry to the highway Then I drove to a pontoon plane I took a plane to a taxi "Big Yellow Taxi", "Just Like This Train". > Those, my friends, are brilliant substitutions. It always gets a laugh too. 2. Jack Neilson ------------------------------------- Venue: JoniFest 2002NE (in the North-Eastern USA); Sunday night, disc 8 In Joni's song about a street musician, "For Free", Joni wrote: > Nobody stopped to hear him Though he played so sweet and high They knew he had never Been on their T.V. So they passed his music by > *********** Jack sang: > Nobody stopped to hear him Though he played so sweet and high They knew he had never Been on their DVD So they passed his music by > So simple. So smart. Jack's new one will be available for purchase shortly. 3. Gregg Cagno ------------------------------------- Venue: JoniFest 2002NE (in the North-Eastern USA); Friday night, disc 1 On the "COURT AND SPARK" collection, Joni was a lady in party mode when she sang: > I want to be strong I want to laugh along I want to belong to the living Alive, alive, I want to get up and jive I want to wreck my stockings in some juke box dive > It's a fun song but how can a straight man make it his own? With humor of course. Here's where Gregg took it: *********** Gregg sang: > I want to be strong I want to laugh along I want to belong to the living Alive, alive, I want to get up and jive I want to wreck my Jockeys in some juke box dive > "Jockey" short are a brand name of man's underwear. Channeling for Julie Z. Webb, I'll ask: "What were your favorite 'updates' to Joni songs this year?" Lama
