“You could actually sing those poems”: the musician who pushed Joni Mitchell to become a singer
It’s understandable why Joni Mitchell would hold strong opinions about Bob Dylan. As two pariahs of the singer-songwriter explosion, they emerged from opposite sides, one embracing artistic evolution while the other was chasing authenticity. However, Mitchell sometimes viewed this as the ultimate act of plagiarism, once saying, “Everything about Bob is a deception.”
Describing them as “night and day,” Mitchell’s perceived disdain toward the brooding troubadour seemed mixed in with years of back-and-forth, with other, more positive comments about his artistry existing alongside her harsh criticisms. However, when picked apart, her biting remarks don’t seem all that out of the blue. After all, if two artists could be deemed chalk and cheese, it’s these two.
Throughout her career, Mitchell has committed herself to creating the most open and honest art. These flavours are only so impactful because they capture moments in timepieces of Mitchell’s heart that make up the fabric of her being. In her songs, she sings from the soul of someone who has felt it all, from joy and fulfilment to loss and despair. Through it all, she remains everything from the loyal to the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Dylan, on the other hand, not only utilises the principle of changing personas and attitudes but embraces the abstract nature of storytelling. Not only this, but he poetically explores such narrative tools as they evolve alongside technology, creating folklorish entities that feel entirely timeless. Both are legendary in their own right but have reached such labels with respectable approaches.
However, while Mitchell has harshly criticised Dylan over the years, she has also remained an avid admirer. The moody singer has influenced her artistry more than once, just as he has challenged her to think in a similarly abstract manner. His work has, at times, pushed her to step outside her usual realm, encouraging her to explore new creative avenues and draw inspiration from unexpected places.
Perhaps more striking than this, however, is that Dylan appears to be the one figure who made Mitchell take the plunge into singing in the first place. According to Mitchell, before Dylan opened her eyes, she hadn’t realised she could take her words and transform them into recorded masterpieces, but he allowed her to understand how to take that leap.
Discussing this pivotal moment with Rolling Stone, Mitchell recalled how her success came as a surprise when it started as a mere hobby “that mushroomed”. She said: “I wrote poetry and I painted all my life. I always wanted to play music and dabbled with it, but I never thought of putting them all together. It never occurred to me.”
Adding: “It wasn’t until Dylan began to write poetic songs that it occurred to me you could actually sing those poems.”
From hearing Dylan’s ability to turn poetry into musical art, Mitchell then began singing her own stories, enhancing their emotional depth through the rawness of her voice alone. Though Dylan may have become a source of ambivalence for her over the years, he initially sparked her hunger to elevate her craft to the next level.
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