Little Green Lyrics
Choose her a name she'll answer too
Call her green and the winters can not fade her
Call her green for the children who have made her little, green
Be a gypsy dancer
Hearing that everything's warmer there
So you write him a letter, say, "her eyes are blue"
He sends you a poem and she's lost to you
Little, green, he's a non-comformer
Like the color when the spring is born
There'll be crocuses to bring to school tomorrow
Just a little green
Like the night's when the Northern lights perform
There'll be icicles and birthday clothes and sometimes
There'll be sorrow
Weary of lies you're sending home
So you sign all the papers in the family name
You're sad and you're sorry but you're not ashamed, little green
Have a happy ending
Like the color when the spring is born
There'll be crocuses to bring to school tomorrow
Just a little green
Like the night's when the Northern lights perform
There'll be icicles and birthday clothes
And sometimes there'll be sorrow
Lyrics are a bit off here. Correct version:
Born with the moon in Cancer Choose her a name she will answer to Call her Green and the winters cannot fade her Call her Green for the children who’ve made her Little Green, be a gypsy dancer
He went to California Hearing that everything’s warmer there So you write him a letter and say, her eyes are blue. He sends you a poem and she’s lost to you Little Green, he’s a non-conformer
Chorus:
Just a little Green Like the color when the spring is born There’ll be crocuses to bring to school tomorrow Just a little Green Like the nights when the northern lights perform There’ll be icicles and birthday clothes And sometimes there’ll be sorrow
Child with a child pretending Weary of lies you are sending home So you sign all the papers in the family name You’re sad and you’re sorry, but you’re not ashamed Little Green, have a happy ending
This song makes me cry. I always thought she was a teenager when she gave up her daughter, but she was in fact in her early twenties. I love the lyrics and its a very touching song
I was born in moon in cancer too :) it's a sad song, I agree with the previous comments, but Mitchell knows she's doing the right thing and hopes for the best for her daughter's life. This is why she isn't ashamed and hopes for a happy ending.
Born with the moon in Cancer (the birth of her daughter) Choose her a name she will answer to (Joni names her daughter) Call her green and the winters cannot fade her (she calls her "Kelly", I suppose like Kelly green - a vibrant, spring time color, so different from the cold winter that she is pregnant in.) Call her green for the children who've made her Little green, be a gypsy dancer (Joni hopes for a happy, carefree life for her daughter)
He went to California (the dad abandoned Joni) Hearing that everything's warmer there (seeks out his own comfort, and leaves Joni freezing in Canada) So you write him a letter and say, "Her eyes are blue." (Joni tries to connect with him, and generate interest in their daughter) He sends you a poem and she's lost to you (he is too self-absorbed to care. Joni is alone.) Little green, he's a non-conformer (Joni tries to tell Kelly, your dad is a non-confirmist, so he will not commit to me or you. He is too selfish and must do his own thing.")
Just a little green (Joni thinks about how vulnerable Kelly is) Like the color when the spring is born (How beautiful and full of hope Kelly is.) There'll be crocuses to bring to school tomorrow (she thinks about Kelly going to school and grwoing up without her.) Just a little green Like the nights when the Northern lights perform There'll be icicles and birthday clothes And sometimes there'll be sorrow (all the things that Kelly will experience, and Joni will not be there to share.)
Child with a child pretending (Joni feels like a child herself, and now she has a child. She has to "act grown up", but she feel so overwhelmed.) Weary of lies you are sending home (telling her parents that everything is fine and not to worry) So you sign all the papers in the family name (sign adoption papers) You're sad and you're sorry, but you're not ashamed (It's heart-wrending for Joni, but she loves her daughter.) Little green, have a happy ending (Please, Kelly, let this turn out okay. Please have a happy life. I want you to be happy.)
(I am now drowning in tears. I am SO GLAD that Little Green DID have a happy ending.)
(I'm tearing up, too)
(I'm tearing up, too)
"Call her green so the winters cannot fade her Call her green for the children who've made her"
"Call her green so the winters cannot fade her Call her green for the children who've made her"
Joni's trying to protect her daughter but she IS alone and that was not an accepting time for single unwed mothers. Joni did marry Chuck Mitchell, who was not the baby's father but Joni thought if she married Chuck (I think that's his name) he'd accept and raise her child. He did not really want to raise Kelly.
Joni's trying to protect her daughter but she IS alone and that was not an accepting time for single unwed mothers. Joni did marry Chuck Mitchell, who was not the baby's father but Joni thought if she married Chuck (I think that's his name) he'd accept and raise her child. He did not really want to raise Kelly.
Green is a name for Kelly (i.e., Kelly Green, a color). Green also means naive. This...
Green is a name for Kelly (i.e., Kelly Green, a color). Green also means naive. This lyric is so clever and so damn sad.
I read that Kelly and Joni did reconnect later in life, but I don't think the reconnection was successful for either one. This is a very sad song.
Joni is not ashamed because SHE is willing to grow up and be a mother but the father is NOT and he WON'T marry Joni and step up to the plate for their baby. Joni's "Sad and sorry" but she's "Not ashamed". Why should she be? She has done everything in her power to keep her child (including marrying a man who suggested he would accept Joni and her daughter as a package deal but he only really wanted Joni and not the child of another man.
Very, Very sad song, and also speaks to Joni's unselfishness. She wants her daughter to have a family with two parents and who perhaps can (at that time) provide better than Joni, alone is able to do for Kelly.
I love Joni Mitchell. I think she will be go down in history as a genius.
@Cjorgensen . Here's the cool happy ending to the story!! I hope you find that the guy is the one, but we females are so romantic, regardless of age.
You can google the image for the daughter and see them both together.
https://jonimitchell.com/Library/view.cfm?id=91
@Cjorgensen . Here's the cool happy ending to the story!! I hope you find that the guy is the one, but we females are so romantic, regardless of age.
You can google the image for the daughter and see them both together.
https://jonimitchell.com/Library/view.cfm?id=91
Early versions of this song include the name, Kelly Green, the name she gave her daughter.
Joni mitchell put her baby up for adoption when she was a teenager, and then she wrote this song about it. pretty sad huh??
@onelove26 She was 21 and a student in art college.
@onelove26 She was 21 and a student in art college.
very sad song, especially the lines 'Child with a child pretending' meaning she was still too young to give her child a proper upbringing. Makes me cry everytime i hear this song.
My copy of the lyric sheet (from the CD release some time in the 90s) has 'non-conformer'.
Echoing hab204 . . . it is brilliant. The lyrics are so spare, but the vision and emotions that the words evoke are so robust and strong: Heart-wrenching. If you don't cry when you listen to this you aren't paying attention . . . and if you are a parent . . . maybe takes it to another level.
it's touching