Joni Mitchell - Carey

Picture a spunky 4 1/2 year old girl singing this tune at the top of her lungs - and when you do, you'll see Jenna's Tempest; Julie's Madison, and yes, I'm a darn proud grandmother. (Proud of all of my beauties and their talents - and their parents who encourage and support their children, and, to some extent, influence the talents and the genres [I mean, Tempest didn't come up with this song on her own]. There I've covered my bases.)

Imagine this 4 1/2 year old singing what she hears, not necessarily what is said, with her limited vocabulary and life experience. Even using the name "Alice," while it cannot be found in the tune, is the name of Tempest's great-grandmother - so of course Tempest heard and used that word.

Isn't that how life is - one's perspective, point of view, is not necessarily that of another's, and based on life experience, and vocabulary, what do we and don't we hear, what is right and what is wrong?

And isn't life about gaining and gathering experiences, trying on a few words here, a few words there, until we find a language that fits, that we like, that we can all our own? Is moving on, forward, changing, quitting, or finding that we don't like, or speak, that language, so we continue to search, broadening our horizons, and learning and gaining as we go?

Am I making sense? Waxing too philosophical?

Anyway, enjoy - both versions.

Tempest, April 2015

Joni Mitchell, 1983