| Joni Mitchell – The Boho Dance Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| This is probably a deeply personal song, although it could be JM's reference to a friend or someone else whose struggle with success versus personal integrity she identified with at the time (JM was certainly no Edith, vulnerable to any King Pin, but she understood the allure, from "both sides now!") She could hardly be afraid of selling out at this point in her career, but the frustration with being boorishly accused of same is irresistible grist for her song mill. She started managing and marketing herself before her first marriage and after the breakup with Chuck Mitchell and was a serious businesswoman when it came to handling her own purse strings from then on. She "sold out" way back when she stopped playing uke in small clubs for cigarette money. The perfection and professionalism with which she honed her various crafts (the woman is primarily a painter, remember) is far too fierce for mere self-flagellation. In the end I don't know the exact boundary lines between the artist herself and the voice of the song, but this is a recurring theme throughout her career. Earlier there was "For Free" (I play if you have the money) and later "Taming The Tiger" (I'm a runaway from the record biz.....boring!). By the time the last album "Shine" came along she seemed truly retired from this struggle with fame, success, whatever. In retreat, victoriously so. I would love to read her poetry and fiction but my impression is that she does not pursue these lines because she is not as good at them as she would like to be. Her excellence as painter, musician, singer, etc. must set some pretty high bars of expectation? | |
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