I kind of see two separate themes from a lyrical standpoint in the song selection on discs one and two. Disc one weaves and travels through Joni's various "global" observations of the human condition while disc two travels through the more personal phases and experiences of Joni and her life. (I also have a hunch that disc two includes some of her own personal favorites).
As I read through the song list on disc one this is what ran through my head: The first three songs are about dreams and maybe three different kinds of impossible dreamers. Otis and Marlena, "dream on, dream on" but they continue to be myopically occupied with the shallow and banal while "Muslims stick up Washington," Joni puts on her big gossamer wings and channels Amelia's and her own impossible dreams and false alarms, and then tries to ward off the pesky "flat tires" that challenge the dream of sustaining a precious love relationship. Then a trilogy of songs present the ultimate word on the subject of Love; the ultimate words (for a generation) on the subject of war and peace, and then some of the most stark and stirring words ever written on slouching toward apocalyse. The next four songs are about struggles, sometimes sad and despairing and sometimes fierce, to overcome adversity and challenges and to fight for and maintain one's individual soul. Disc one ends asking God what he thinks of all of this sometimes small and sometimes epic epic travelogue of human drama and concludes without a final answer, other than God must be a Boogie Man and maybe the best we can do is keep boogying through it all ;-) Kakki
