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Off Night Backstreet

Joni Mitchell

Maybe I'm just kidding myself when I say I love you

I don't know--

Loving without trusting

You get--frostbite and sunstroke

I wish I felt nothing!

You pimp--laughing and strutting her to my chartered seat

Your old off night back street

It's been stinger to stinger, darling

It's been heart to heart

You still keep me from finishing

Any new love I start

Now she's moved in with you

She's keeping your house neat

And your sheets sweet

And I'm your off night back street

I can feel your fingers

Feeling my face

There are some lines you put there

And some you erase

Maybe I'm just dramatizing

I don't care

It's home--it can be heaven

When we play fair

But these sentimental journeys

Late at night--

High in some back room you're calling me

To be your off night back street

You give me such pleasure

You bring me such pain

Who left her long black hair

In our bathtub drain?

LanguageEnglish
Translated byAllen Morningstar

About this Song

Off Night Backstreet by Joni Mitchell explores themes of loneliness, longing, and the complexity of human relationships. The song delves into the bittersweet nature of love, where companionship and heartache coexist. Mitchell paints a vivid picture of the struggles faced during moments of solitude and the yearning for a deeper connection. Poignant moments in the song include imagery of dimly lit streets and the quiet despair of unfulfilled desires, vividly portraying the emotional landscape of a lonely heart.

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