The song Joni Mitchell wrote to dump David Crosby
Dissolving romantic relationships can take various forms – some opt for a phone call, others resort to text messages or emails. However, in the realm of iconic singer-songwriters, Joni Mitchell chose a unique and artistic path to convey her heart’s decision. Mitchell’s method of parting ways with David Crosby was through the art of songwriting, with the haunting melody and poignant lyrics of one of her most intimate songs.
Crosby and Mitchell were romantically involved in 1967, a year during which he took on the role of producing her inaugural album, Song To A Seagull. However, an intriguing chapter of their relationship unfolded during a gathering at Peter Tork of The Monkees’ residence. At this particular soirée, Mitchell introduced a significant moment, pulling out her guitar and unveiling the composition ‘That Song About The Midway’.
While playing the heartfelt melody, her eyes were unwaveringly fixed on Crosby. The significance of her performance was so profound that she chose to repeat it, ensuring that the message concealed within the song came across. Following this musical confession, she concluded her romantic involvement with Crosby and later embarked on a fresh chapter of her love life alongside his dear friend, Graham Nash.
The song itself unfolds within the context of a carnival midway, symbolising the peculiar and often surreal atmosphere they navigated in and around Los Angeles. In this lyrical narrative, she likens him to a winged devil, questioning whether he adorns those wings solely for the sake of his artistry. As she confronts him with accusations of infidelity, her words are clear: “You were betting on some lover, you were shaking up the dice /And I thought I saw you cheating once or twice, once or twice.“
According to Crosby, his relationship with Mitchell became difficult mostly because he felt inadequate alongside her as a musician. Speaking to Howard Stern, he admitted: “Imagine if you wrote a really good song, you sang it to her when she came home, and then she sang you three better songs she wrote last night.“
He also described Mitchell as being “as good a poet as Bob [Dylan], and she’s ten times the musician and singer than he is. I care about him, but the truth is she’s much better as a musician and much better as a singer.” However, the true nature of the pair’s relationship remains uncertain, as Mitchell once told David Yaffe in Reckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell, “it was a summer affair.”
Along with ‘That Song About The Midway’, Mitchell penned multiple tracks about Crosby, including one that appeared on Song to a Seagull. ‘The Dawntreader’, positioned as the second track on the album’s second side, is adorned with evocative maritime imagery, and it narrates an optimistic portrayal of a romantic relationship. She sings, “City satins left at home I will not need them/ I believe him when he tells of loving me” and “Leave behind your streets he said and come to me/ Come down from the neon nights.” The track culminates in Mitchell’s ethereal voice, singing, “Children laughing out to sea/ All his seadreams come to me.”
