Joni Mitchell, “that song about the midway,”
from: clouds, 1969
“I met you on a midway at a fair last year
And you stood out like a ruby in a black man’s ear
You were playin’ on the horses, you were playin’ on the guitar strings
You were playin’ like a devil wearin’ wings
Wearin’ wings, you looked so grand wearin’ wings
Do you tape them to your shoulders just to sing?
Can you fly? I heard you can, can you fly?
Like an eagle doin’ your huntin’ from the sky
I followed with the sideshows to another town
And I found you in a trailer on the camping grounds
You were betting on some lover, you were shaking up the dice
And I thought I saw you cheatin’ once or twice
Once or twice, I heard your bid once or twice
Were you wond’rin’ was the gamble worth the price?
Pack it in, I heard you did, pack it in
Was it hard to fold a hand you knew could win?
So lately you’ve been hidin’, it was somewhere in the news
And I’m still at these races with my ticket stubs and my blues
And a voice calls out the numbers and it sometimes mentions mine
And I feel like I’ve been workin’ overtime
Over time, I’ve lost my fire, over time
Always playin’ one more hand for one more dime
Slowin’ down, I’m gettin’ tired, slowin’ down
And I envy you, the valley that you’ve found
’Cause I’m midway, down the midway
Slowin’ down, down, down, down”
Joni played the Unicorn Coffee House on March 29 1969 with James Taylor. There was a huge snowstorm and hardly anyone else was there but the trusty blue line from Revere was running and deposited me close enough to the door. The Unicorn was located on 815 Bolyston Street now an Apple Store. It was owned by George Papadopolous who also owned the Psychedelic Supermarket. Saw Phil Ochs, Richard and Mimi Farina, Bonnie Raitt ,Tom Rush, Paul Butterfield and awesome local Jackie Washington and many others at the Unicorn. Down a flight of stairs , Under the sidewalk….a continuous revolving introduction to awesome musicians.
-Linda Freedman -
Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell 1967