Both Sides oDDBall

Just me, singing. I'm in a lot of angst pain. Through no fault of my own I've lost my job. My possibility of gaining new work is low. I'm losing the home I've rented for the last three years. I don't know where to go. I lost my email where I shared collaborations. my new one is my old one [email protected]. Let me know if you send me anything, everything goes to spam. I get 150 spam messages a day
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Joni Mitchell's song *Both Sides, Now* is one of her most beloved works, and it holds a timeless place in music history. She wrote the song in 1966 when she was only 23, though it was later popularized by Judy Collins in 1967. Mitchell's own recording came out in 1969 on her *Clouds* album.

The inspiration behind *Both Sides, Now* came from a passage in Saul Bellow's novel *Henderson the Rain King*. In one scene, the protagonist looks out of an airplane window and becomes enchanted by the clouds, thinking about their beauty and mystery. Mitchell read the passage and was struck by the imagery, leading her to reflect on the contradictory ways we perceive life, love, and our dreams.

The lyrics explore the contrasts between idealized expectations and the reality of experience. With lines like *"I've looked at clouds from both sides now"* and *"I've looked at love from both sides now,"* Mitchell expresses a sense of wonder but also a deep, mature understanding of life’s complexities and disappointments. The song reflects how our perspectives shift as we grow older, from innocence to wisdom, joy to sorrow, and back again.

In 2000, Mitchell re-recorded *Both Sides, Now* in a lower, more contemplative voice with orchestral accompaniment for her album *Both Sides Now*, transforming the song into a more reflective piece that captures the poignancy of aging and life experience. This later version brings out a sense of melancholy and introspection, showing just how much Mitchell’s life journey had deepened her understanding of her own lyrics.