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Ladies Of The Canyon

Joni Mitchell

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Ladies Of The Canyon

Trina wears her wampum beads

She fills her drawing book with line

Sewing lace on widows' weeds

And filigree on leaf and vine

Vine and leaf are filigree

And her coat's a secondhand one

Trimmed with antique luxury

She is a lady of the canyon

Annie sits you down to eat

She always makes you welcome in

Cats and babies 'round her feet

And all are fat and none are thin

None are thin and all are fat

She may bake some brownies today

Saying, you are welcome back

She is another canyon lady

Estrella circus girl

Comes wrapped in songs and gypsy shawls

Songs like tiny hammers hurled

At beveled mirrors in empty halls

Empty halls and beveled mirrors

Sailing seas and climbing banyans

Come out for a visit here

To be a lady of the canyon

Trina takes her paints and her threads

And she weaves a pattern all her own

Annie bakes her cakes and her breads

And she gathers flowers for her home

For her home she gathers flowers

And Estrella, dear companion

Colors up the sunshine hours

Pouring music down the canyon-

Coloring the sunshine hours

They are the ladies of the canyon

LanguageEnglish
Translated byAllen Morningstar

About this Song

Ladies Of The Canyon by Joni Mitchell is a tribute to the diverse women living in the bohemian community of Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, during the 1960s. The song paints portraits of three distinct women—Trina, Annie, and Estrella—each embodying unique characteristics of creativity, kindness, and resilience. Key themes include community, individual expression, and the interplay between artistic passion and everyday life. Particularly poignant moments include the vivid descriptions of the women's lives and their impact on the narrator, capturing a sense of admiration and solidarity among the community.

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