Why Joni Mitchell Says Kris Kristofferson Was “Embarrassed” by Her Ultra Vulnerable Album ‘Blue’

Joni Mitchell has never pulled any punches. Whether it be talking about the state of the world, a former lover, or herself—she never holds back and calls it how it is. Frankly, this is one of the many factors that made Mitchell a generational voice and one of the greatest songwriters of all time. However, her vulnerability and brutal honesty often clashed with contradicting perspectives.

One of the most infamous and public juxtaposing views Mitchell had to face was Kris Kristofferson’s. Kristofferson and Mitchell were friends and contemporaries for a large part of their careers. Their relationship went beyond music, though, it was a large factor in their friendship as they often sought out advice from each other.

Joni Mitchell’s ‘Blue’

Mitchell’s 1971 album, Blue, is often regarded as one of her most vulnerable pieces of work thanks to songs such as “Little Green,” “My Old Man,” and “All I Want.” Mitchell’s openness is seemingly what made the album a hit and also a collection of songs testifying to the difficult time she had been experiencing in recent years. Even though vulnerability is a positive thing, Kristofferson thought too much of it wasn’t.

In an interview with Acoustic Guitar in 1966, Mitchell stated, “When [Blue] first came out, I played it for Kris Kristofferson, who said, ‘God, Joan, save something of yourself.’” Mitchell followed up the claim saying, “He was embarrassed by it. I think generally at first that people were embarrassed by it.” Mitchell seemingly didn’t appreciate Kristofferson’s comment, but she disregarded it and stood by the unguarded nature of her material.

The Success in The Uncomfortable

After all, it seems Kristofferson’s response is what Mitchell wanted to hear. As she stated in the interview, “People [usually sing], ‘I’m bad, I’m bad, I’m great, I’m the greatest.’ It’s a phony business, and people accept the phoniness of it.” Following the logic of this response, Mitchell wanted people to feel uncomfortable, she wanted them to erk and cringe. She seemingly believed that if they could face the reality of her problems, they could do the same with theirs.

Despite Kristofferson’s comments and Mitchell’s “over-sharing,” the album went on the make numerous Billboard appearances and achieve platinum certification. Furthermore, Rolling Stone called it the third-best album of all time in their article “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” Even though Kristofferson’s advice came from the heart, Mitchell’s vulnerability is what makes this album what it is.

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