Both Sides Now

Album: Wildflowers (1967)
Charted: 14 8
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was the first hit song written by Joni Mitchell, whose version appears on her 1969 album Clouds. Mitchell recalled: "I was reading Saul Bellow's Henderson the Rain King on a plane and early in the book Henderson the Rain King is also up in a plane. He's on his way to Africa and he looks down and sees these clouds. I put down the book, looked out the window and saw clouds too, and I immediately started writing the song. I had no idea that the song would become as popular as it did."
  • Joni Mitchell had been through a very difficult time when she wrote this song's lyric. In 1965, she gave birth to a baby girl, but struggled as a single mom (the father was an old boyfriend who left soon after Mitchell got pregnant). She married a musician named Chuck Mitchell that year, but soon after the marriage, gave up the child for adoption. Soon, her marriage was on the rocks, and in 1967 they split up.
  • Collins is known as a folk singer, and has recorded songs written by Leonard Cohen, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan and many others, as well as traditional songs like "Amazing Grace." Her recording of this song provided her first hit, and also brought exposure to Mitchell, who went on to a very successful career as both a songwriter and performer.
  • This won the 1968 Grammy for Best Folk Performance.
  • Collins was a big influence on Mitchell, and Joni was thrilled when she recorded this song. At the 1966 Newport Folk Festival, Collins (a regular performer at the festival) introduced the then-unknown Mitchell to the crowd. Mitchell's set went over very well, and she remained grateful to Collins for the support.
  • This is Joni Mitchell's most-covered song; with over 1000 versions recorded, it could be considered a standard. Some of the luminaries to record it include Frank Sinatra (on his 1968 album Cycles), Bing Crosby, and Ronan Keating.
  • When Mitchell first started performing this song in 1967, she called it "From Both Sides, Now." On her album, it was listed as "Both Sides, Now." Collins' version excised the comma.
  • Collins' recording features a harpsichord - an unusual instrument for a pop song. Joshua Rifkin, who did the arrangements on the album, came up with the idea and played it.
  • It was Al Kooper who put Joni Mitchell in touch with Judy Collins. As Collins tells it, she was asleep in her New York apartment when her old friend Kooper called. He had met Mitchell in a bar, and when he found out she was a songwriter, he followed her home and called Collins from her place. Mitchell sang her "Both Sides Now," and Collins knew right away that it was something special. "I had never heard a song that I felt was so beautiful," she said.
  • Collins put this on her 1967 album Wildflowers (her seventh LP), but it wasn't released as a single until 10 months later. The single version is different: it's a remix done by David Anderle designed to be more radio-friendly.
  • Dave Van Ronk released a version of this song (titled "Clouds") in 1968 on his album Dave Van Ronk & the Hudson Dusters.
  • This was used in the pilot episode of the TV series The Wonder Years, which took place in 1968. It was also used era-appropriately on the 2013 episode of Mad Men, "In Care Of," where it plays over the end credits. The song has appeared in the movies You've Got Mail (1998), Life as a House (2001) and Steve Jobs (2015), and over the final credits to the 2018 horror film Hereditary.
  • Sara Bareilles sang this in 2017 at the Oscars for the "In Memoriam" segment, honoring those in the industry who died in the past year. The previous year, Dave Grohl sang "Blackbird" in this segment.
  • Judy Collins told Uncut in 2018 that though Joni Mitchell was initially "blown away and thrilled" by the song's success, "as the years went by, I think she became resentful that someone else had a hit with her song. The fact that it isn't appreciated by the writer is always discouraging."
  • Dolly Parton recorded a version with Judy Collins and Rhonda Vincent for her 2005 covers album, Those Were The Days.
  • Emilia Jones sings this in the movie CODA in character as Ruby Rossi, a high school girl whose parents and brother are deaf. In one scene, her choir teacher gets her to connect emotionally with the song, which she's able to do later by using sign language to interpret the lyrics for her family as she performs it at an audition.

Comments: 19

  • Rusty Russell from Apex NcSongfacts mentions that this song was used in the British Film Love Actually. One of my favorite movies set around Christmas with so many storylines. When this song is used it is a gut wrenching scene. Emma Thompson really played that scene as a very raw emotional scene. Even though she was acting I could feel and understand the loss and the betrayal she felt.
    This song was one of the first songs I learned how to play on guitar. As great as the music is the lyrics are even better. Joni was able to comprehend so much at 23. It would seems as though from the lyrical content that it was written from someone who had ridden life's emotional journeys for a long time. Thinking back now that this folk song classic was able to hold it's own in 1967 against rock's changing sounds of psychedelia. It is nice to know that not everyone was trying to dull the pain of life by using drugs and alcohol then.
  • Joseph Morris from Philadelphia PaWhat songs did Joni Mitchell write with or for Judy and vice a versa
  • Shatteredvinyl from GeorgiaI personally always interpreted this song as how it feels when you realize the grass isn't so green on the "other side",and that being on the other side of the coin so to speak isn't what you thought,and feels the same as where you were before...the disillusionment and melancholy of realizing it's basically the same from both sides.And either way it's mostly just illusions and expectations.Example,as silly as it sounds,someone being an 'ugly duckling' in their youth and being mistreated because of it...then blooming into a very different,striking person who is pursued for their looks yet is still used and abused for other reasons...that person has seen life from both sides and still only has their illusions of how things should have been better,but the reality is just as harsh.
  • Katie Trion2findhome from Reading Pa Some things stay with you. Engraved into your heart, memory, spirit and soul. I was 4 maybe 5 but I remember. WFIL on the AM dial, the back seat of my Mom's Cadillac Brougham. Didn't understand the words. Didn't matter. I knew how I felt listening to the lady and pretty music. It felt safe, happy and sad like coming home from school to find out that your dog got loose and is lost. Still feels that way 50 years later. Now I know the words and like reading the Bible the message and meanings become new and profound as my life unfolds into a (sometimes catastrophic) kaleidoscope of Kodak moments. To everyone who's read this I sincerely wish you a life filled with love, harmony, gratitude, peace, joy, mirth, kindness and awe. Find something beautiful by considering same things differently daily. Before you sleep thank you for being you. Love for the sake of Love and have faith in faith itself.
    Forever for you my friend
  • Kawa from Tokyo, JapanHi Music lovers,

    I think the songwriter of this song, Joni Mitchell, wrote this song in 1968 to prove that she was able to write a song like Bob Dylan's very groundbreaking song 'Blowin' In The Wind' in 1962. Because Bob had been like an icon since PPM coverd the song and made a big hit in 1964.
    All the singer-songwriters like Paul Simon or Joni Mitchell had been trying to write a song like 'Blowin' In The Wind', I think. SO Joni finally did !
    That was the song. Because the structure of the song, 'Both Sides Now', was very similar to 'Blowin'. And More, everyone understands that it was written by the female artist but it tells us about life or has a very message song like 'Blowin'. So I think she wanted to and tried to write this song like 'Blowin' and she did, I mean she proved it ! It was great !
  • Dan from Slc, UtThe imagery in "Both Sides Now" is wonderful. And the aspect of the song that I was most touched by is in the last chorus. To be reminded that we are only experiencing our illusions about everything and not directly experiencing anything is a pretty profound idea.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 15th 1968 "Both Sides Now" by Judy Collins peaked at #8 (for 1 week) on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; it had entered the chart on November 3rd and spent 11 weeks on the Top 100...
    It reached #3 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart...
    The song first appeared on her 1967 album 'Wildflowers'; the album reached #5 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart...
    Ms. Collins will celebrate her 75th birthday come next May 1st.
  • Steve from Whittier, CaIce Cream castles is na good reference, likewise that harpzichord and stuff does make it a Celtic sounding tune at that. There is a slight lyric difference in the final chorus-"from win and lose" on single or LP to "from give and take" on the other, but which version is the single or lp? [They're otherwise same length].
    '
  • Camille from Toronto, OhQuite a masterpiece.
  • Peg from Daytona, FlI have more than one time been out in nature finding solace in looking up at the sky when this song entered my mind, and I was able this time to catch it in a different way. Joni Mitchell really touched on the connectedness of life- especially now that im older and reflecting alot. I really dont know love, life, clouds at all. the more you live, you realzie the less you know about life. my 2 cents.
  • Mike from Santa Barbara, CaThis song was used during the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, during a sequence that was used to show the vast praries of western Canada.
  • Paul from Washington Dc, DcI heard that Collins recorded this behind Joni's back against her wishes, and that they didn't get along too well afterwards. I suspect that they were also romantic rivals for that affections of one or more of the men in CSN. Anybody agree?
  • David from Youngstown, OhGreat, great song. My favorite version is by Neil Diamond on his '69 album, Touching You, Touching Me.
  • Howard from St. Louis Park, MnJudy Collins' first hit single also put Joni Mitchell on the musical map. It's one of my favorites that was also covered by other artists, including Neil Diamond. I like the line "Ice cream castles in the air."
  • Patrick from Southhapton, NyThe song is about how we remember or erroniously view. What we hope and dream is so much better and stronger than the reality. This "non event" becomes our important unforgetable "instead" event, sad human and so so beautiful. Happens with lovers alot they embrace the great illusion, its enough.
  • Jodi from London, OnTrish, I think it's pretty clear that this song is about the narrator having gained new insight through life experience and realized that the grass is not green on the other side of the mountain. It's very poignant and sad, and oozes with truth.
  • Andy from Arlington, VaBest. Lyrics. Ever.
  • Guy from Woodinville, WaThe entire song is a tour de force! In particular it has remarkably clear, to-the-point, expressive lyrics!
  • Jay from Syracuse, NyThis is an exceptional case in which a "straighter" cover version improves on the original: Collins instinctively and rightly turns Mitchell's bluesy version into a Celtic folk tune. A beautiful and evocative song that holds up well.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Graduation Songs

Graduation SongsFact or Fiction

Have you got the smarts to know which of these graduation song stories are real?

Mac Powell of Third Day

Mac Powell of Third DaySongwriter Interviews

The Third Day frontman talks about some of the classic songs he wrote with the band, and what changed for his solo country album.

Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne

Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of WayneSongwriter Interviews

The guy who brought us "Stacy's Mom" also wrote the Jane Lynch Emmy song and Stephen Colbert's Christmas songs.

Justin Timberlake

Justin TimberlakeFact or Fiction

Was Justin the first to be Punk'd by Ashton Kutcher? Did Britney really blame him for her meltdown? Did his bandmates think he was gay?

Brandi Carlile

Brandi CarlileSongwriter Interviews

As a 5-year-old, Brandi was writing lyrics to instrumental versions lullabies. She still puts her heart into her songs, including the one Elton John sings on.

Five Rockers Who Rolled With The Devil

Five Rockers Who Rolled With The DevilSong Writing

Just how much did these monsters of rock dabble in the occult?