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Rainy Night House Lyrics
It was a rainy night
We took a taxi to your mother's hom
She went to Florida and left you
With your father's gun, alone
Upon her small white bed
I fell into a dream
You sat up all the night and watched me
To see, who in the world I might be.
I am from the Sunday school
I song soprano in the upstairs choir
You are a holy man
On th F.M. radio
I sat up all the night and watched thee
To see, who in the world you might be.
You called me beautiful
You called your mother - she was very tanned
So you packed your tent and went
To live out in the Arizona sand
You are a refugee
From a wealthy family
You gave up all the golden factories
To see, who in the world you might be.
We took a taxi to your mother's hom
She went to Florida and left you
With your father's gun, alone
Upon her small white bed
I fell into a dream
You sat up all the night and watched me
To see, who in the world I might be.
I song soprano in the upstairs choir
You are a holy man
On th F.M. radio
I sat up all the night and watched thee
To see, who in the world you might be.
You called your mother - she was very tanned
So you packed your tent and went
To live out in the Arizona sand
You are a refugee
From a wealthy family
You gave up all the golden factories
To see, who in the world you might be.
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Leonard Cohen is the shaman in this song. Joni wrote it after her brief affair with him in 1967.
for some whacked out reason that only happens in my head, when i hear the line 'you are a refugee' makes me want to go write a song, i know, i'm crazy. anyways, this song is just beautiful. joni is a wonderful piano player, and nobody can possibly write songs as well as she can. she can write a song about practically anything. ok, im rambling now, but what else is new?
I've been lately haunted with this song... I don't know what it is. I just love the idea of watching another, trying to find out something about somebody... It's a song about meeting somebody in many levels. Joni is a strange creature, she touches me very deep-
recently I read 'Into the wild' and listening to this song now it sort of reminds me of it.. that he went to live in the Arizona sand... to me the song is all about that..getting away from the life you were 'supposed' to have. And also trying to discover who you are and who other people are by inconsquential things. Mostly I love the melody of this song..it's haunting!
I too am reminded of "into the wild"by this song. who in the world you might be
I too am reminded of "into the wild"by this song. who in the world you might be
This song was supposedly written about long-time (late, died in the early '80s) L.A. and New York DJ B. MItchel Reed, who reportedly had a brief affair with Joni early in her career. He was an established DJ by the late '50s; by the late '60s he had helped usher in the first FM stations that played alternate album tracks and other music, not just the established hits played on AM radio.
@greendreamer Great comment, and highly accurate. The 'Beamer' was one of a kind. A jazz jock in the mid-fifties, at WOR replacing Symphony Sid, before heeding west as part of the line-up at legendary 'Color Radio' KFWB, Los Angeles. Grace and Peace from the Father.
@greendreamer Great comment, and highly accurate. The 'Beamer' was one of a kind. A jazz jock in the mid-fifties, at WOR replacing Symphony Sid, before heeding west as part of the line-up at legendary 'Color Radio' KFWB, Los Angeles. Grace and Peace from the Father.
I think the key to this song lies in the subtle, but significant, pause after ´sun´
I sense that the man described in the song is almost a religious or spiritual figure. She refers to him as a "holy man." Like Buddha he comes from a wealthy family and he gives it up for a spiritual quest. He realizes that behavior like getting a tan, as his mother does, is not the point of human existence, and he is searching for more. He wants to deeply understand others, so he stays up all night watching the woman. He wants to see her without her defenses, as she truly is.
I've just recently become aware of the many religious and spiritual aspects to Joni's songs.
Joni Mitchell had a short relationship with Leonard Cohen, who was a bit older and a little more worldly than her. I'm not sure why the relationship ended, but I can imagine that after a while the novelty of Joni had worn off, just like it would with the other women in his life. When the muse-factor fades, time to move on.
Joni wrote this song as a subtle put-down -- "You are a refugee from a wealthy family' -- I don't think Cohen could ever have identified with what Joni had gone through in her life, struggling with poverty, having to give up a baby for adoption.
Cohen was the "holy man on the FM radio" -- yes, there were many people at the time who worshipped at the altar of Leonard Cohen, like he was some kind of prophet.
And the fact that Joni keeps mentioning his mother -- "we took a taxi to your mother's home" -- "She went to Florida..." and "You called your mother she was very tanned" -- was her way of calling him a mama's boy.
"...she left you with your father's gun alone..." -- could that mean Leonard had suicidal or depressive tendencies? Perhaps
You can probably tell that I don't think much of Leonard Cohen... don't like the way he patronized women, honestly just an overrated douchebag. .
[Edit: I just wanted to edit it add some things I forgot]