The line "My loves are dead or dying, or they don't come near," as well as the antagonists' lines about suffering being a punishment from God, always reminds me that this song was written at a time when HIV was a virtual death sentence. On the same album, Joni covered "How Do You Stop," a beautiful song by Dan Hartman, a contemporary and friend who had died from AIDS-related complications.
The line "My loves are dead or dying, or they don't come near," as well as the antagonists' lines about suffering being a punishment from God, always reminds me that this song was written at a time when HIV was a virtual death sentence. On the same album, Joni covered "How Do You Stop," a beautiful song by Dan Hartman, a contemporary and friend who had died from AIDS-related complications.