Extra: A Case of Joni

Kirsten Bowen, "Rock & Roll Series - Joni Mitchell"
Venetian plaster on canvas, 2018 (48 x 48 inches)
Used by permission of the artist

A portrait of the young Joni Mitchell emblazoned with the lyrics of a 1971 song about love and loss, “A Case of You,” hangs over my living room sofa. 

During nocturnal trips to my adjacent office, where I write this blog, I illuminate this artwork and take a moment to reflect on its subject, her many poignant musical messages, and – with apologies to Taylor Swift -- profound musical eras.

But it is another Mitchell masterpiece I can't get out of my head today.

“Well something’s lost, but something’s gained / In living every day." When she wrote those lyrics for her first hit, 1966’s “Both Sides Now,” Mitchell could not have known she would overcome staggering health challenges to do a protracted victory lap late in life. 

At the Grammys, 2/4/2024
Image: Getty

Joni would perform “Both Sides Now” throughout her career, most recently on Sunday night at the Grammys. She spoke and sang her way through what may have been the song’s ultimate rendition. Stars for whom Mitchell’s vulnerability paved the way, like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, and even Meryl Streep, gazed on in awe. Fans like me around the world fought back tears.

“Both Sides Now” is prescient for a 23-year-old artist. Its bittersweet message still resonates 57 years later, and feels increasingly apt the more we age. If we are lucky, even as time robs us of time, we savor something sweet with each new day. 

Mitchell’s preoccupation with loss permeates her early work, including 1970’s “Big Yellow Taxi.”

Don't it always seem to go 
That you don't know what you've got 
Till it's gone 

While we came close, we thankfully haven’t lost her. We are still "living in the time of Joni Mitchell," as her disciple Brandi Carlile puts it. 

No longer reclusive, she now seems to bask in the love and recognition of a late-in-life Jonissance. She hosts intimate Joni Jams at her home with Dolly Parton and Harry Styles, and conversely, will play the Hollywood Bowl in October.

Given how abruptly musical greats can be ripped away from us, the present Joni era is a gift. It is inspiring to see so many honoring and even coming to her for the first time during her lifetime. 

None of us knows how long we have left, but in Mitchell’s case, her sunset years seem to be bringing closure and perspective.

As much as it is gratifying for a Joni fan like me to see her return to the limelight, I believe that the quintessential Joni Mitchell listening experience is solo, not communal. 

It's 4 am. It’s just me, my painting, and some low music. It feels as if the ice cream castles in the air are just for me.

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