To me, both sides now isn't so much a coming of age song. If it were, it would mean that the author's point of view evolved from one earlier naive state to a more enlightened state through experience. In other words, it would mean that the protagonist used to see clouds & love as beautiful, and after subsequent experiences saw them in a different & more realistic light. While the coming of age/changing perspective thing is the subject of the verses; the chorus goes beyond that by adding that although she has seen things for what they really are, she continues to choose illusion over reality.
I think both sides now is a song about illusion versus reality from the point of view of a dreamer. Even when experience teaches the true nature of something, the dreamer can continue to live with their illusions about life and love. The dreamer seems doomed to repeat the same mistakes by choosing to sugar coat the true nature of life and love with their own romantic illusionment. Even this has a duality: you can look at it as being hopeful or unrealistic.
I see this comment is from 7 years ago, but I'm compelled to add my two cents, as I am just discovering this song. I agree with your overall assessment of the song having to do with illusion versus reality. Wonderfully put. But I don't think it's as much of a choice as you make it out to be. I think this is best expressed in the line "something's lost, but something's gained in living every day." Perhaps the only choice to make is the choice to see life from both sides, not one or the other. If anything, the...
I see this comment is from 7 years ago, but I'm compelled to add my two cents, as I am just discovering this song. I agree with your overall assessment of the song having to do with illusion versus reality. Wonderfully put. But I don't think it's as much of a choice as you make it out to be. I think this is best expressed in the line "something's lost, but something's gained in living every day." Perhaps the only choice to make is the choice to see life from both sides, not one or the other. If anything, the illusion is what is lost... but what is gained is the real, in all of it's ugliness and beauty--which makes the illusion that much more desirable. It's an expression of yearning for the innocence lost, but with a tone of gratitude for having tasted the purity of illusions at all. It's a song of realization. We are the dreamer. Hopeful and unrealistic and all.
@mickzzzzzz Yea, I'm not sure why you are siding with one of the sides from a song clearly titled BOTH sides now. Clouds are beautiful as well as gloomy. Relationships can go good or bad. Life is full of ups and downs. Growing up is not about embracing the negative side and that's certainly not what this song is about. Its about both sides, not one or the other. And if you listen to the verses illustrating both sides of clouds, love, life the meaning of the song they all end with the refrain that she doesn't understand the duality...
@mickzzzzzz Yea, I'm not sure why you are siding with one of the sides from a song clearly titled BOTH sides now. Clouds are beautiful as well as gloomy. Relationships can go good or bad. Life is full of ups and downs. Growing up is not about embracing the negative side and that's certainly not what this song is about. Its about both sides, not one or the other. And if you listen to the verses illustrating both sides of clouds, love, life the meaning of the song they all end with the refrain that she doesn't understand the duality between the ups and downs. The idea that she is dreamer who is chosing illusion over reality is just trash talk and is insulting to Joni Mitchell and her listeners. She presents life as a mystery, which is the way it is. There will always be people who think that embracing one side which they describe as 'reality' is the path to living life successfully and although they may feel pruposeful and righteous in this claim and try to insist that other's follow them, they miss out on one side of life, but remain locked into their wisedom that is actually an illusion. Joni Mitchell is far wiser and looks at both sides, and examines the human condition and responsds to it with the bittersweet meloncoly tone that rings through in her kind voice with an inspiring emotional wisdom. But some people watch to much TV and think this about a dreamer from the 1960's that hasn't grown up.
@mickzzzzzz Good luck finding wisdom by only looking at one side. Its sad to see people who think that love and beauty don't exist, when its clear to other people that they do and that the people who don't think it exists maybe ought to do a little searching. But these people will always claim to be the 'grownups', put themselves in places of authority and try to force their 'wisdom' which is really a form of foolishness down other people's throats.
@mickzzzzzz Good luck finding wisdom by only looking at one side. Its sad to see people who think that love and beauty don't exist, when its clear to other people that they do and that the people who don't think it exists maybe ought to do a little searching. But these people will always claim to be the 'grownups', put themselves in places of authority and try to force their 'wisdom' which is really a form of foolishness down other people's throats.
To me, both sides now isn't so much a coming of age song. If it were, it would mean that the author's point of view evolved from one earlier naive state to a more enlightened state through experience. In other words, it would mean that the protagonist used to see clouds & love as beautiful, and after subsequent experiences saw them in a different & more realistic light. While the coming of age/changing perspective thing is the subject of the verses; the chorus goes beyond that by adding that although she has seen things for what they really are, she continues to choose illusion over reality.
I think both sides now is a song about illusion versus reality from the point of view of a dreamer. Even when experience teaches the true nature of something, the dreamer can continue to live with their illusions about life and love. The dreamer seems doomed to repeat the same mistakes by choosing to sugar coat the true nature of life and love with their own romantic illusionment. Even this has a duality: you can look at it as being hopeful or unrealistic.
I see this comment is from 7 years ago, but I'm compelled to add my two cents, as I am just discovering this song. I agree with your overall assessment of the song having to do with illusion versus reality. Wonderfully put. But I don't think it's as much of a choice as you make it out to be. I think this is best expressed in the line "something's lost, but something's gained in living every day." Perhaps the only choice to make is the choice to see life from both sides, not one or the other. If anything, the...
I see this comment is from 7 years ago, but I'm compelled to add my two cents, as I am just discovering this song. I agree with your overall assessment of the song having to do with illusion versus reality. Wonderfully put. But I don't think it's as much of a choice as you make it out to be. I think this is best expressed in the line "something's lost, but something's gained in living every day." Perhaps the only choice to make is the choice to see life from both sides, not one or the other. If anything, the illusion is what is lost... but what is gained is the real, in all of it's ugliness and beauty--which makes the illusion that much more desirable. It's an expression of yearning for the innocence lost, but with a tone of gratitude for having tasted the purity of illusions at all. It's a song of realization. We are the dreamer. Hopeful and unrealistic and all.
@mickzzzzzz Yea, I'm not sure why you are siding with one of the sides from a song clearly titled BOTH sides now. Clouds are beautiful as well as gloomy. Relationships can go good or bad. Life is full of ups and downs. Growing up is not about embracing the negative side and that's certainly not what this song is about. Its about both sides, not one or the other. And if you listen to the verses illustrating both sides of clouds, love, life the meaning of the song they all end with the refrain that she doesn't understand the duality...
@mickzzzzzz Yea, I'm not sure why you are siding with one of the sides from a song clearly titled BOTH sides now. Clouds are beautiful as well as gloomy. Relationships can go good or bad. Life is full of ups and downs. Growing up is not about embracing the negative side and that's certainly not what this song is about. Its about both sides, not one or the other. And if you listen to the verses illustrating both sides of clouds, love, life the meaning of the song they all end with the refrain that she doesn't understand the duality between the ups and downs. The idea that she is dreamer who is chosing illusion over reality is just trash talk and is insulting to Joni Mitchell and her listeners. She presents life as a mystery, which is the way it is. There will always be people who think that embracing one side which they describe as 'reality' is the path to living life successfully and although they may feel pruposeful and righteous in this claim and try to insist that other's follow them, they miss out on one side of life, but remain locked into their wisedom that is actually an illusion. Joni Mitchell is far wiser and looks at both sides, and examines the human condition and responsds to it with the bittersweet meloncoly tone that rings through in her kind voice with an inspiring emotional wisdom. But some people watch to much TV and think this about a dreamer from the 1960's that hasn't grown up.
@mickzzzzzz Good luck finding wisdom by only looking at one side. Its sad to see people who think that love and beauty don't exist, when its clear to other people that they do and that the people who don't think it exists maybe ought to do a little searching. But these people will always claim to be the 'grownups', put themselves in places of authority and try to force their 'wisdom' which is really a form of foolishness down other people's throats.
@mickzzzzzz Good luck finding wisdom by only looking at one side. Its sad to see people who think that love and beauty don't exist, when its clear to other people that they do and that the people who don't think it exists maybe ought to do a little searching. But these people will always claim to be the 'grownups', put themselves in places of authority and try to force their 'wisdom' which is really a form of foolishness down other people's throats.