Music Review: Documentary: Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Mind

This is the second documentary I have watched this week.  They let me know where the music I liked growing up came from.  Joni Mitchell wrote "Both Sides Now" one of my favorite songs.

Both Sides Now

Bows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I've looked at clouds that way

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way

I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all

Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real
I've looked at love that way

But now it's just another show
You leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know
Don't give yourself away

I've looked at love from both sides now
From give and take, and still somehow
It's love's illusions I recall
I really don't know love at all

Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say "I love you" right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at life that way

Oh but now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Well something's lost but something's gained
In living every day

I've looked at life from both sides now
From WIN and LOSE and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all

I've looked at life from both sides now
From up and down and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all

Joni Mitchell was first a poet, and it shows in her music.  It reads like poetry, and painted images.  She in fact was also an artist, and sometimes painted her album covers. 

Joni Mitchell was born Joni Anderson.  She is from Canada.  while young she had polio.  She was told if she didn't improve she might might end up in an iron lung.  She began to sing to improve her lungs.  After her bout with polio, she was no longer competitive at sports so turned to music.  She started with the Ukulele.  She had to develop alternative guitar tunings and different ways of making chords due to weakness in her fingers. 
Her original music would be called fold music.  She told stories with her music.  She started as a solo act; she, her instrument (piano, guitar, ukelele, dulcimer or auto harp) and her vocals.  Later she would add band, drum and guitar.  She achieved her greatest critical acclaim for the album "Blue."
Another of her popular songs is Big Yellow Taxi,
"Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got til it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot

Joni Mitchell is a smoker, which shows in the documentary.  Sometimes her self portraits include her cigarette.  She is still playing and writing.  She won a Grammy in 2007 "One Week last Summer."