I don't like being too looked up at or too looked down on. I prefer meeting in the middle to being worshipped or spat out. Joni Mitchell More Quotes by Joni Mitchell More Quotes From Joni Mitchell Once I got the open tunings for some reason, I began to get the harmonic sophistication that I heard that my musical fountain inside was excited by. Once I got some interesting chords to play with, my writing began to come. Joni Mitchell play writing interesting I'm a little young for retirement. Joni Mitchell young littles retirement If you see yourself as a kingly type, then you need your serfs and your army and so on around you. Joni Mitchell type army needs Because I'm so busy and because I think of myself as a painter, I desperately guard the time that I have to paint. And sometimes I'm irresponsible to my career in order to paint. Because painting is obsessive. I forget to eat. I forget to sleep. Joni Mitchell careers sleep thinking Americans have decided to be stupid and shallow since 1980. Joni Mitchell shallow decided stupid I never loved a man as far as I could pitch my shoe. Joni Mitchell shoes men Give me spots on my apples, but leave me the birds and the bees, please. Joni Mitchell ddt apples nature But now old friends are acting strange They shake their heads, they say I've changed Well something's lost, but something's gained In living every day Joni Mitchell inspirational-music old-friends acting You know that it never has been easy Joni Mitchell lines sticks easy Will you take me as I am? Strung out on another man...California, I'm comin' home. Joni Mitchell music home men I've looked at life from both sides now...from win and lose, and still somehow it's life's illusions I recall I really don't know life at all. Joni Mitchell positive love life Applause, applause, life is our cause. Joni Mitchell causes life-is inspirational I'm a fine artist working in a commercial arena, so that's my cross to bear Joni Mitchell arena artist bears Happiness is the best facelift. Joni Mitchell wise beauty inspirational I see music as fluid architecture. Joni Mitchell fluid architecture I learned a woman is never an old woman. Joni Mitchell old-woman The thing that started me painting originally was seeing Bambi when I was about nine. I was incredibly disturbed by the forest fire that killed Bambi's mother, and that distress gave me the impulse to create something, as a way of dealing with it. Joni Mitchell nine fire mother But now it's just another show, you leave em laughing when you go. And if you care, don't let them know, don't give yourself away. Joni Mitchell giving laughing life I'm your biggest fan, California, I'm coming home Joni Mitchell california fans home I had made all these rules for myself: I'm not writing social commentary, I'm not writing love songs. Joni Mitchell social writing song