After meeting at the Newport Folk Festival in 1967, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen shared a brief romance. A fan of his music herself, Mitchell even once said that she was “Cohen-influenced.” Here are a few songs that are speculated to be about their short relationship.
“A Case Of You” by Joni Mitchell
This is one of Mitchell’s most beautiful songs ever. It’s been debated as being about several of Mitchell’s relationships, including the ones with Graham Nash, James Taylor, and, of course, Cohen. The possible connection to Cohen stems from a line in the song where Mitchell sings, “Just before our love got lost, you said / ‘I am as constant as a northern star.’”
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Apparently, that was something Cohen once said to her.
“When I played ‘A Case of You’ for him, he said, ‘I’m glad I wrote that…’” Mitchell told Malka Maron. “Leonard got mad at me actually, because I put a line of his, a line that he said, in one of my songs. To me, that’s not plagiarism. You either steal from life or you steal from books. Life is fair game, but books are not. That’s my personal opinion. Don’t steal from somebody else’s art, that’s cheating. Steal from life, it’s up for grabs, right?”
“Winter Lady” by Leonard Cohen
In “Winter Lady”, Cohen describes a woman who seems to be a little bit detached. He also describes a relationship that appears to be fleeting. Especially because their relationship was so short-lived, some fans think this song is about Mitchell.
Traveling lady, stay awhile
Until the night is over
I’m just a station on your way
I know I’m not your lover.
“Rainy Night House” by Joni Mitchell
This song paints a beautiful picture of how people can come to understand each other, and themselves, through relationships and life.
Mitchell told Maron of how the inspiration behind the line “You sat up all the night and watched me / To see who in the world I might be” points to Cohen.
“I went one time to his home, and I fell asleep in his old room, and he sat up and watched me sleep,” she explained. “He sat up all the night, and he watched me to see who in the world I could be.”
Photo by: Tony Russell/Redferns
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