Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark is #113 on the 2012 list and #110 in the 2020 list of Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Court and Spark was Joni’s 6th studio album. It was an immediate commercial and critical success—and remains her most successful album. I’m actually surprised at that, but it does have some hits that got a lot of radio play, like “Free Man in Paris” and “Help Me.” It reached No. 2 in the United States and No. 1 in Canada and eventually received a double platinum certification by the RIAA, the highest of Mitchell’s career. It also reached the Top 20 in the UK and was voted the best album of the year for 1974 in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop Critics Poll. In 2000 it was voted number 116 in Colin Larkin’s All Time Top 1000 Albums. In 2004, Court and Spark was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Mitchell spent most of 1973 in the recording studio creating Court and Spark and it was released in January 1974. Mitchell and engineer Henry Lewy called in a number of top L.A. musicians to perform on the album including members of the Crusaders, Tom Scott’s L.A. Express, cameos from Robbie Robertson, David Crosby, and Graham Nash and even a twist of comedy from Cheech & Chong (in Twisted.)
“Down to You” is the song I’ve chosen to share from the album. It won the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s.) It has been described as “sheer masterpiece” and “stunning in its complexity.” With the 2nd description, I might stop at stunning. It’s like seeing someone holding a beating heart in their hands. You are never going to find a better songwriter than Joni Mitchell when it comes to describing the human condition. She doesn’t shrink from deep truths. I daresay that this song is a direct interface with the sacred.
Down to You
Everything comes and goes
Marked by lovers and styles of clothes
Things that you held high and told yourself were true
Lost or changing as the days come down to you
Down to you
Constant stranger, you're a kind person, you're a cold person too
It's down to you
You go down to the pickup station
Craving warmth and beauty
You settle for less than fascination
Few drinks later, you're not so choosy
When the closing lights strip off the shadows
On this strange new flesh you've found
Clutching the night to you like a fig leaf, you hurry
To the blackness and the blankets
To lay down an impression and your loneliness
In the morning, there are lovers in the street, they look so high
You brush against a stranger and you both apologize
Old friends seem indifferent, you must have brought that on
Old bonds have broken down, love is gone
Ooh, love is gone
Written on your spirit, this sad song
Love is gone
Everything comes and goes
Pleasure moves on too early, and trouble leaves too slow
Just when you're thinking you've finally got it made
Bad news comes knocking at your garden gate
Knocking for you
Constant stranger, you're a brute
You're an angel, you can crawl, you can fly too
It's down to you
It all comes down to you
Written by: Joni Mitchell
Album: Court and Spark
Released: 1974
Jim Adams is the host of Song Lyric Sunday. Jim says:
This week the theme is to find a song from Rolling Stone magazine list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time either 2003, 2012, 2020, or 2023.
Tao Talk 
Great choice, Lisa. I love this song! Your write-up is excellent! :-)
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So glad you like this one, Susan :)
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Oh! My all time favourite Album I nearly chose this too … great choice 💜
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Willow, so happy it’s one of your favorites. Can’t wait to see all of the album choices this week.
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I love Sunday and this prompt there’s always so much to learn 💜❤️
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What a perfect choice. Joni will always be a voice of reason in a crazy world. Then and now. Thank you for showcasing this song.
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Thanks much, Violet. Yes, she will <3
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Court and Spark was significantly different from her earlier work, incorporating jazz elements and moving towards a more mature, experimental sound. I didn’t listen to this album as much as he others, but this sone is really beautiful. Thanks for sharing your music again, Lisa.
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Yes it is, Jim. Tom Scott is a jazzy fellow and she used his band with Miles of Aisle. You are welcome. Thanks for the prompt, it will generate a lot of good music, I’m sure.
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I remember buying Court and Spark, and listening to nothing else for weeks. So good.
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I think a lot of people have blissed out over that album, myself included.
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Love that song and album, Lisa. “Court and Spark” turned 50 in January 2024, and it still sounds great to this day! Musically, it was transformational for Joni Mitchell, introducing elements of jazz. It’s been characterized as being halfway between Joni’s folkie past and her jazz-rock rock future.
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I love she has stretched herself musically over the decades. Glad you know the album and song. We had a wide range of albums to choose from, which made it a tough choice.
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Can’t go wrong with any song on that album. I also like the way they meld into one another. (K)
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<3
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Great album Lisa… I was going to do this last night but ran out of time. That one and Blue is the two I know the best
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Those 2 and Miles of Aisles are the ones I know best, but I do have a box set of other albums of hers also.
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I agree with your assessment whole heartedly Lisa. This is a great selection off any amazing album.
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I’m sure I must have heard her music a lot as a kid. Listening to some of the above was very gentle, very relaxing…..
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She’s good at gentle music.
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Great choice, Lisa!
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Thanks, Marina!
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Love this track! I’m literally taking a break from writing an article about Mitchell Mingus album for my Throwback Thursday post. Amazing artist, great choice!
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Thanks much and glad you enjoyed the song.
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p.s. Will try to check out your Throwback Thursday on Mingus later. Just looked and didn’t see it.
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BTW its posted now …thank you for checking
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You’re welcome. Just read it and commented. Will say more after listening to it.
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I don’t know a lot of Joni’s music, but listening to this song, I really like it! <3
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