The brief encounter that inspired Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan to write a song
The feud and mutual respect between Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan seems so contradictory that only a sibling rivalry could form on such grounds. Although Mitchell has spoken openly about her lack of appreciation for the singer, she also lauds him as a significant influence on her songwriting and overall musicianship.
At face value, it may seem like Mitchell’s perceived “hatred” of Dylan transpired at a time when she realised their music clashed. However, it’s clear that she likely felt eclipsed by her folk-rock counterpart, claiming that much of his artistry lacks originality. “Musically, Dylan’s not very gifted,” she once said. “He’s borrowed his voice from old hillbillies.”
Simultaneously, and perhaps paradoxically, Dylan influenced Mitchell’s musical approach in more ways than potentially any other musician. When Dylan’s ‘Positively 4th Street’ was released, for instance, Mitchell described her alleged nemesis as providing a “revelation”. In fact, the 1965 single reminded her of the boundless possibilities of songwriting, prompting her to explore each and every type of theme her heart yearned to discover.
Music aside, Dylan also inspired Mitchell spiritually, his penchant for seemingly mundane day-to-day observations aligning well with her mindset as a painter. Her song ‘Paprika Plains’ may not have materialised had she not encountered Dylan at a party one evening, where he asked her what she would paint if she were to begin crafting an image out of the very room they sat in. “I’d paint the mirrored ball spinning, I’d paint the women in the washroom, the band,” she replied.
Interestingly, this single encounter also inspired Dylan to go away and write ‘One More Cup of Coffee’. When she turned the question onto him and asked what he would paint that night, he answered, “this coffee cup.” As a result, both artists saw something in vapidity that perhaps not many others would be able to detect, finding significance in small concepts and poetically threading them into their music.
‘Paprika Plains’ emerged in its entirety when Mitchell had a dream that dredged up the foundations of her conversation with Dylan. This ethereal, dreamlike quality comes through in the song’s lyrics as she sings about “in the washroom, women tracked the rain, up to the makeup mirror” as she dreams of “vast and bleak and god forsaken” paprika plains.
On the other hand, Dylan’s ‘One More Cup of Coffee’ seems more abstract and elusive, drawing from various experiences to form the basis of the tale. Although not solely derived from his experience with Mitchell, the song’s title likely stemmed from their brief encounter, a single coffee cup providing the perfect contrast with the song’s otherwise dark and profound subject matter.
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