Musician and Muse: 3 Songs That Other Musicians Wrote About Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell is known as one of the greatest singer-songwriters of the 20th century. With works like Blue from 1971 and Court And Spark from 1974 under her belt and even more beyond those hailed works, she remains one of the most vulnerable folk musicians of her era. And outside of her own works, Mitchell inspired a few of her contemporaries who wrote songs about her. Let’s take a look at just a few, shall we?

“Only Love Can Break Your Heart” by Neil Young (1970)

Graham Nash and Joni Mitchell were in a relationship before calling it quits in 1970. Naturally, Nash’s heart was broken, and Mitchell went on to write the song “River” about the relationship’s painful end. Neil Young, more or less, witnessed the drama firsthand. And he penned “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” after being inspired by the pair’s lovey-dovey relationship and tumultuous end. It was a fine way to help his friends move on, and it remains a gorgeous breakup song to this very day.

“Our House” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1970)

Remember how we mentioned Graham Nash and Joni Mitchell’s connection in that last entry? The Mitchell-inspired songs didn’t end with Neil Young’s ode to Mitchell. However, “Our House” came before their relationship dissolved. “Our House” is a solid counterculture gem about domestic bliss, written while Nash lived with Mitchell. It’s a sweet, upbeat tune about being in a safe sort of love, and it’s kind of a bummer that the relationship inevitably went south. According to lore, the heart-eyed Nash wrote “Our House” in less than an hour.

“Winter Lady” by Leonard Cohen (1967)

Unless you’re a diehard Joni Mitchell fan, you might not know that the singer-songwriter had a dalliance with poet and singer Leonard Cohen back in the 1960s. They met at the famed 1967 Newport Folk Festival. The result of that relationship was a ton of great music, with some believing (though this has never been confirmed) that “Case Of You” and “Rainy Night House” were written about Cohen. Regardless, “Winter Lady” is one song that might just be about Mitchell, considering Mitchell also has a song by the same name. This one’s a deep cut from Songs Of Leonard Cohen that deserves way more love today.

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