Song For Sharon by Joni Mitchell - Lyrics and Translation

VERSE

Song For Sharon

Joni Mitchell

Song For Sharon

Song byJoni Mitchell

in AlbumHejira

I went to Staten Island.

To buy myself a mandolin

And I saw the long white dress of love

On a storefront mannequin

Big boat chuggin' back with a belly full of cars...

All for something lacy

Some girl's going to see that dress

And crave that day like crazy

Little Indian kids on a bridge up in Canada

They can balance and they can climb

Like their fathers before them

They'll walk the girders of the Manhattan skyline

Shine your light on me Miss Liberty

Because as soon as this ferry boat docks

I'm headed to the church

To play Bingo

Fleece me with the gamblers' flocks

I can keep my cool at poker

But I'm a fool when love's at stake

Because I can't conceal emotion

What I'm feeling's always written on my face

There's a gypsy down on Bleecker Street

I went in to see her as a kind of joke

And she lit a candle for my love luck

And eighteen bucks went up in smoke

Sharon, I left my man

At a North Dakota junction

And I came out to the ";Big Apple"; here

To face the dream's malfunction

Love's a repetitious danger

You'd think I'd be accustomed to

Well, I do accept the changes

At least better than I used to do

A woman I knew just drowned herself

The well was deep and muddy

She was just shaking off futility

Or punishing somebody

My friends were calling up all day yesterday

All emotions and abstractions

It seems we all live so close to that line

And so far from satisfaction

Dora says, ";Have children!";

Mama and Betsy say-";Find yourself a charity.";

Help the needy and the crippled or put some time into Ecology.";

Well, there's a wide wide world of noble causes

And lovely landscapes to discover

But all I really want right now

Is...find another lover

When we were kids in Maidstone, Sharon

I went to every wedding in that little town

To see the tears and the kisses

And the pretty lady in the white lace wedding gown

And walking home on the railroad tracks

Or swinging on the playground swing

Love stimulated my illusions

More than anything

And when I went skating after Golden Reggie

You know it was white lace I was chasing

Chasing dreams

Mama's nylons underneath my cowgirl jeans

He showed me first you get the kisses

And then you get the tears

But the ceremony of the bells and lace

Still veils this reckless fool here

Now there are 29 skaters on Wolmann rink

Circling in singles and in pairs

In this vigorous anonymity

A blank face at the window stares and stares and stares and stares

And the power of reason

And the flowers of deep feeling

Seem to serve me

Only to deceive me

Sharon you've got a husband

And a family and a farm

I've got the apple of temptation

And a diamond snake around my arm

But you still have your music

And I've still got my eyes on the land and the sky

You sing for your friends and your family

I'll walk green pastures by and by

LanguageEnglish

Translated byAllen Morningstar

About this Song

Song For Sharon by Joni Mitchell explores themes of longing, self-reflection, and the complexities of choosing life paths. It reflects on womanhood, dreams, and the sacrifices that come with personal growth and independence. The song narrates Mitchell's contemplative journey between her and her friend Sharon, illustrating the divergence in their lives – Sharon chose a traditional path with marriage and security, while Mitchell pursued a career filled with artistic freedom and its accompanying loneliness. Poignant moments in the song include reflections on societal expectations of women and the introspection of missed opportunities and the inherent trade-offs in life choices.