# Which Joni Mitchell song was about Stephen Stills? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 1, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781 "2003-04-01T20:34:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781/1 "2003-04-01T20:34:05Z")
My bro tells me he saw an interview with Stephen Stills where he said something like “it was fantastic loving Joni, but _man_ - does she have to write a f\*cking song about it??” It was news to me that she’d had a relationship with Stills as well as Nash (I guess poor old Dave Crosby missed out?), but if this is true, anyone know which song it was? ---
**Author:** ![Payton\_s\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@Payton\_s\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payton_s_Servant)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781/2 "2003-04-01T20:39:22Z")
I think your brother may be a wee bit mixed up. Joni Mitchell wrote **Woodstock** , which was popularized by Crosby,Stills Nash & Young. Stephen Stills wrote “ **Suite: Judy Blue Eyes** ” about Judy Collins, who he had been seeing. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781/3 "2003-04-01T21:22:37Z")
The confusion is this: Stephen Stills was involved with Judy Collins, about whom he wrote “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.” The song indicates that Judy is a very difficult woman to be in a relationship with. Stills’ bandmate Graham Nash used to live with Joni Mitchell. Though that relationship ended, it seems to have been a very happy one while it lasted. Nash wrote “Our House” about his relationship with Joni. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781/4 "2003-04-01T21:38:59Z")
OK, so did Judy Collins write a song about Stephen Stills, then? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781/5 "2003-04-01T21:41:23Z")
BTW, Judy Collins’s version of “Clouds” sucked the big one. ---
**Author:** ![Jerrybear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8c91f0/32.png) [@Jerrybear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jerrybear)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781/6 "2003-04-02T00:00:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*BTW, Judy Collins’s version of “Clouds” sucked the big one. \*\* Actually, I think the title of that song is “Both Sides Now,” although you are prolly not the first person to think “Clouds” is the title. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781/7 "2003-04-02T00:43:51Z")
I met David Crosby and his wife while I was working at a theater. He came up the aisle whistling, and I said, “I guess you aren’t superstitious.” He didn’t understand and his wife said, “whistling in a legit theater is bad luck. You have to go outside, turn around and spit.” I spent two months doing nothing in Matala, Crete. That is where Joni Mitchell spent a lot of time writing one of her albums. I actually liked the song, “Both Sides Now” when it first came out. Of course, I also thought Carly Simon was groovy back then. Actually paid to see both in concert. Carly Simon wrote, “You’re So Vain” and it is supposedly about Mick Jagger. I don’t believe Kevin Bacon ever performed with any of them. None of the above has anything to do with a song written by a songstress about Stephen Stills, but I just knew you would want me to share nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781/8 "2003-04-02T03:29:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astorian \* > \*\*Nash wrote “Our House” about his relationship with Joni. \*\* And Joni wrote “Willy” about her relationship with Nash. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781/9 "2003-04-02T03:49:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jerrybear \* > \*\*Actually, I think the title of that song is “Both Sides Now,” although you are prolly not the first person to think “Clouds” is the title. \*\* You’re correct, though a lot of confusion undoubtedly comes from the fact that “Both Sides Now” was originally on Joni Mitchell’s _Clouds_ album. ---
**Author:** ![j\_kat\_251](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71c47a/32.png) [@j\_kat\_251](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_kat_251)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781/10 "2003-04-02T04:00:16Z")
> [@](#): > > Carly Simon wrote, “You’re So Vain” and it is supposedly about Mick Jagger. Dunno where you heard this. Try one Warren Beatty. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781/11 "2003-04-02T05:28:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by j\_kat\_251 \* > \*\*Dunno where you heard this. Try one Warren Beatty. \*\* Try one yourself. I’m taken. 🙂 The Jagger rumor is helped along a bunch because he sings backup on the song. But Simon has never said who it’s about, and there are many candidates: [http://www.carlysimon.com/vain/vain.htm](http://www.carlysimon.com/vain/vain.htm) ---
**Author:** ![j\_kat\_251](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71c47a/32.png) [@j\_kat\_251](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_kat_251)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781/12 "2003-04-02T05:35:00Z")
I did, and they’re quite tangy. The actual pressing questions about what is who arise from Don McLean songs, though. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781/13 "2003-04-02T05:52:43Z")
Either you’re too drunk to post or I’m too tired to read, but that made no sense to these synapses. Maybe Carly Simon’s cat’s breath smells like American Pie. Wouldn’t put it past her. ---
**Author:** ![FallenAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781/14 "2003-04-02T12:32:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*BTW, Judy Collins’s version of “Clouds” sucked the big one. \*\* Judy Collins’ version of _everything_ sucked the big one. As much as I love chick folk music, I never caught her appeal. Give me Joni of Carole King any day. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781/15 "2003-04-02T12:56:04Z")
I always pictured Stills in at least two of her lyrics (maybe projecting things onto the lyrics they won’t support): In “Just Like This Train,” the line “Dreaming of the pleasure I’m going to have/Watching your hairline recede, my vain darling…”–Stills started losing his hair as early as Buffalo Springfield, and he did in fact have a receding hairline, not a bald spot, and he was as vain as any performer. In “California” she writes, obviously addressing her lover, “Oh make me feel good, rock’n roll band, I’m your biggest fan” On his first solo album (from memory, it may be called just “Stephen Stills”–anyway the one with “4 + 20” on it) Stills played many instruments, including drums, and I always thought "Rock “n’ Roll Band” was a private nickname for Stills on that basis. Hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781/16 "2003-04-02T13:52:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pseudotriton ruber ruber \* > **In “California” she writes, obviously addressing her lover** I got this as analagous - that California _was_ her lover. I believe this was after her tour of Europe, so she’d have been feeling homesick (presuming she thought of California as her home at that time). ---
**Author:** ![hermann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b487fb/32.png) [@hermann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hermann)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781/17 "2003-04-03T00:43:55Z")
I thought the Carly Simon song was refering to james Taylor ---
**Author:** ![hermann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b487fb/32.png) [@hermann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hermann)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781/18 "2003-04-03T03:27:11Z")
But then, Carly set me straight on her website. Nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781/19 "2003-04-03T05:25:16Z")
[The Dawntreader](http://www.jmdl.com/lyrics/TheDawntreader.cfm) is the song for David Crosby. It’s on her first album _Song to a Seagull_. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781/20 "2003-04-03T09:19:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by koeeoaddi \* > \*\*[The Dawntreader](http://www.jmdl.com/lyrics/TheDawntreader.cfm) is the song for David Crosby. It’s on her first album _Song to a Seagull_. \*\* Whoa - did she boff Crosby as well as Nash, then? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-joni-mitchell-song-was-about-stephen-stills/165781.md?page=2)