> The thread about "Songs that evoke emotions" has moved
> me to finally write about this - to try to put into
> words what I feel about Joni's songs.
>
> I've played guitar for a long time, and have learned and
> tried to sing a fair number of songs over the years
> including many of Joni's. There are certain songs that
> are so beautiful and so moving that I can hardly sing
> them all the way through without bursting into tears
> (Dylan's Every Grain Of Sand is one of them), or that
> make me cry every time I hear them (Mary
> Chapin-Carpenter's 10,000 Miles), but there has never
> been one Joni song that moved me like that. I love
> Joni's songs!!! I think they are very beautiful
> lyrically and melodically (she is among my favorite
> musicians), but I find her songs very cerebral. It's
> like the emotions are transformed into beautiful
> multicolored jewels and the metaphorical beauty is
> moving, but I don't cry in response to it, even though
> many of the songs are very melancholy.
>
> Does anyone else have any thoughts on this?
Hi Marian! Good to see you posting again!
I've been thinking about this one ever since I read this post last
night. Joni affects me in a very different way, as well. The only
one of her songs I can think of that really makes the tears start is
the new version of 'Both Sides Now.' The maturity and hind sight she
brings to the song now really affects me.
But mostly Joni makes me feel something entirely different from
whatever feeling or feelings bring tears to my eyes. In part I feel a
kind of respect and awe for the amazing excellence of their
composition and expression. Of course there's more than that but that
is part of it. Joni's voice is like an old friend to me. It's
comforting. I feel the same way about Billie Holiday. Billie doesn't
make me cry either. They both tap into very deep emotions but they
don't make old wounds hurt. They soothe. They heal. They inspire.
There are songs that almost never fail to bring tears and sometimes
sobs. Mostly because they have very personal associations attached to
them. There's a song on Bryan Thomas's 'Radio Plastic Jennifer'
called 'Cycle' that I've only listened to once. I haven't been brave
enough to play it again. Not knocking the song, Bry, it's a powerful
and beautiful song that speaks some unfortunate truths. But it has
personal associations that make it nearly unbearable for me.
For some reason Peter, Paul & Mary can really get me going with
certain songs. 'Day Is Done' used to make me sob every time I heard
it. Also 'Light One Candle' and their live version of 'Blowin' In the
Wind' on their Christmas cd are almost impossible for me to sing along
with cause I choke up every time. Again, there are personal
associations with these songs that make them particularly poignant for
me.
Richard Harris' final reprise of 'Camelot' at the end of that movie is
another one but that's mostly just because I fell hopelessly in love
with his character & the Arthurian legend in that one.
Another one is the Airplane's version of 'Wooden Ships.'
I was listening to Laura Nyro's 'Christmas In My Soul' in the car the
other day and started thinking about my friend Denny who passed away
last March. He loved to sing & he always threw his whole heart into
it when he did. He also loved Christmas. I started thinking how much
he would enjoy Laura wailing 'Christmas in my soul, Christmas in my
soul' at the end of that song and wondering if he had ever heard it.
I sobbed when the song ended. I think it was the most I had let that
grief out since his death. Why do people have to be taken from us too
soon? I'm grateful for Laura's music and for the Denny's friendship.
I'm glad there was a Wally Breese & a Kenny Grant. But sometimes the
loss just seems like too much to bear...
Enough. Sorry for the bandwidth.
Mark in Seattle
