We have a war dictator who was not elected, he snuck in. so he punishes people that threaten him in any way, or even say something he doesnt like. It has no resemblance to democracy. – Joni Mitchell
Eventually, with success, I started to feel more and more isolated – like I didnt have a community of artists. – Joni Mitchell
You have this mounting aggressive ignorance with the rabbits foot of their particular religion. You dont really have any kind of spiritual law, just a kind of a rabid mental illness. The songs are a little slice of life. – Joni Mitchell
No one likes to have less than they had before. Thats the nature of the human animal. – Joni Mitchell
Im a very analytical person, a somewhat introspective person thats the nature of the work I do. – Joni Mitchell
The thing that gave me the most pain in life, psychologically, and it gave me tremendous pain psychologically, is mans disrespect for nature. – Joni Mitchell
I have one piece of music, since 1997, and I dont see it having lyrics. Where does it go in this world? So I havent recorded it. – Joni Mitchell
I dont understand why Europeans and South Americans can take more sophistication. Why is it that Americans need to hear their happiness major and their tragedy minor, and as jazzy as they can handle is a seventh chord? Are they not experiencing complex emotions? – Joni Mitchell
You could write a song about some kind of emotional problem you are having, but it would not be a good song, in my eyes, until it went through a period of sensitivity to a moment of clarity. Without that moment of clarity to contribute to the song, its just complaining. – Joni Mitchell
Back then, I didnt have a big organization around me. I was just a kid with a guitar, traveling around. My responsibility basically was to the art, and I had extra time on my hands. There is no extra time now. There isnt enough time. – Joni Mitchell
We managed to put together a compilation that had some creativity to it. In the meantime I was listening to the free radio stations and I noticed that during their war coverage they were playing these songs born out of the Vietnam War that were all critical of the soldiers. – Joni Mitchell
Sorrow is so easy to express and yet so hard to tell. – Joni Mitchell
I see the entire world as Eden, and every time you take an inch of it away, you must do so with respect. – Joni Mitchell
I find a lot of poetry to be narcissistic. – Joni Mitchell
There was this mountain village in Russia where my music was getting in on some German radio station. I remember this because music used to get up to Saskatchewan from Texas. Late at night after the local station closed down. – Joni Mitchell
In some ways, my gift for music and writing was born out of tragedy, really, and loss. – Joni Mitchell
To enjoy my music, you need depth and emotionality. – Joni Mitchell
The considerations of a corporation, especially now, have nothing to do with art or music. – Joni Mitchell
I came through folk music simply because it was easy to get into it. – Joni Mitchell
I come from pioneer stock, developers of the West, people who went out into the wilderness and set up home with nothing but a pair of oxen. – Joni Mitchell
