The Joni Mitchell song David Crosby always wanted to sing
Once you reach a certain level of acclaim and fame as a songwriter, you can expect to start stumbling upon covers of your own work. The Beatles have been subjected to thousands of renditions of their own music, and ‘Yesterday’ is thought to be the most covered song in history. Bob Dylan’s sonic stories have been told and retold countless times—and Joni Mitchell is no exception.
Spawning out of the folk circuit of the 1960s, Mitchell carved out a place for herself as one of the most innovative artists of her generation. She committed entirely to honesty and authenticity in her lyricism, telling true stories of love and loss from her own life, adorning them with poeticisms and wit. As she grew as a songwriter, she pulled jazz influences and even electronic production to bolster her soft strums, but her talent for lyricism always remained the focus.
With her endearingly emotional approach to songwriting, Mitchell won over audiences in abundance. Even now, decades after she penned seminal records like Blue, her words still resonate with audiences worldwide, guiding young women through failed romances and longings for freedom. The love for her writing has also translated into countless covers, by big names and budding musicians alike.
Some of Mitchell’s closest friends showed their admiration for her work through covers, including fellow folk rocker and her former lover David Crosby. Crosby had earned his own place in music history through his endeavours with The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, but he wasn’t quite as talented a songwriter as Mitchell. Still, he longed to sing Mitchell’s lyrics.
There was one song, in particular, that Crosby was always keen to cover: ‘Amelia’ from her 1976 album Hejira. Pairing wistful guitars with wavering vocals, the track borrowed from the story of aviator Amelia Earhart, using this as a crux for Mitchell to dispel her own experiences of love and dreams. “A ghost of aviation, she was swallowed by the sky,” Mitchell sings, “Or by the sea like me she had a dream to fly.”
Almost four decades after Mitchell first released the track, Crosby covered it on his 2017 album Sky Trails. He replaced strums with sombre piano keys, while his vocals provided the track with a completely different feel than the original. “I’ve always wanted to sing that song,” Crosby told Uncut at the time, “I love that song!”
He went on to describe the track as a “stunning piece of work,” sharing his particular admiration for how Mitchell balanced the tales of two women: herself and Amelia. “The two levels of it talking about Amelia Earhart and talking about her own love life at the same time,” he enthused, “so eloquently, with such a beautiful set of words.”
Crosby also explained how he had changed the song in his own cover, suggesting that while Mitchell’s was “quite ornate,” he aimed to sing it “very simply.” This certainly comes across in the final recordings. Crosby’s version of the song distils the song down to its roots, showing off Mitchell’s lyrical prowess in all of its glory, despite delivering it through a new voice.
In Crosby’s voice, in his gentle piano playing, you can feel his true admiration and appreciation for Mitchell’s songwriting talents. He sings as if he’s in awe of the words she created.
