A few loosely linked things to share. First, my daughter is currently in Paris (working at the Pasteur Institute on a Fulbright grant - yeah, sometimes we brag but there's a link, really). Anyway, we have been e-mailing sporadically, but by no means daily. Anyway, there was a recent boyfriend disappointment that led to some discussion on life and love and....
Well, she can't stand Joni's voice and does not dig her music (or so she swears - partly a reaction to my obsession, no doubt). However, she likes classical, and has discovered (over the past 3 years) she likes The Beatles, Elton John, Paul Simon and James Taylor. And, over time, I have inflicted some lyrics on her that she likes. So, I sent her the lyrics to a couple of songs (to try to help her mood), and she confessed she likes Joni's lyrics. So, we agreed I would send her a "JM song of the day" - something linked to her current 'situations' (caught in her struggle for higher achievement, and her search for love, that don't seem to cease, etc.). This has been going on for about two weeks now, and it is obvious she is enjoying it (and so am I). I figure it's only a matter of time before she opens up to the music, too. (By the way, we have this dial-around number that lets us phone her for a flat $.10 per minute - if anyone is interested, let me know and I will try to get you details. It applies to Paris for sure, but maybe to all of Europe - my wife can get the details, I think). Anyway, in copying the songs from the lyrics database, I have found myself re-formatting them in Word for e-mail purposes. I have sent a number of the early songs to her, and commented on the poetic devices and what I at first called Joni's "internal rhyming schemes". After looking at it more closely, though, I realize these are not really "internal rhymes". Rather, they are very rigidly structured "external rhyme" patterns. Her early songs are full of these schemes, which is obviously (at least to me) how she initially wrote them - then, she expanded the shorter lines into longer ones for the album jackets (perhaps to make them appear more narrative and less sing-songy ?). One example (there are others) is I Had A King, which I have restructured below into the shorter lines I described loosely above. The schemes are so tight, but the thoughts are fluid and natural - ingenue work, like she admits, but I like it: I Had A King by Joni Mitchell I had a king in a tenement castle Lately he's taken to painting the pastel Walls brown He's taken the curtains down. He's swept with the broom Of contempt and the rooms Have an empty ring He's cleaned with the tears Of an actor who fears For the laughter's sting. I can't go back there anymore You know my keys won't fit the door You know my thoughts don't fit the man They never can They never can. I had a king dressed in drip-dry and paisley Lately he's taken to saying I'm crazy And blind He lives in another time. Ladies in gingham Still blush while he sings them Of wars and wine But I in my leather And lace, I can never Become that kind. I can't go back there anymore You know my keys won't fit the door You know my thoughts don't fit the man They never can They never can. I had a king in a salt-rusted carriage Who carried me off to his country for marriage Too soon Beware of the power of moons. There's no one to blame No there's no one to name As a traitor here The king's on the road And the queen's in the grove Till the end of the year. I can't go back there anymore You know my keys won't fit the door You know my thoughts don't fit the man They never can They never can Copyright ) 1968; Siquomb Publishing Company Contrast the above with the follwoing fromthe database and the CD jacket: I Had A King by Joni Mitchell I had a king in a tenement castle Lately he's taken to painting the pastel walls brown He's taken the curtains down He's swept with the broom of contempt And the rooms have an empty ring He's cleaned with the tears Of an actor who fears for the laughter's sting I can't go back there anymore You know my keys won't fit the door You know my thoughts don't fit the man They never can they never can I had a king dressed in drip-dry and paisley Lately he's taken to saying I'm crazy and blind He lives in another time Ladies in gingham still blush While he sings them of wars and wine But I in my leather and lace I can never become that kind I can't go back there anymore You know my keys won't fit the door You know my thoughts don't fit the man They never can they never can I had a king in a salt-rusted carriage Who carried me off to his country for marriage too soon Beware of the power of moons There's no one to blame No there's no one to name as a traitor here The king's on the road And the queen's in the grove till the end of the year I can't go back there anymore You know my keys won't fit the door You know my thoughts don't fit the man They never can they never can Copyright ) 1968; Siquomb Publishing Company
