Joni Mitchell - Amelia (Live 1979)

written & produced by Joni Mitchell | from the album Hejira (1976) | live version from Shadows & Light (1979) | guitar solo by Pat Metheny

[kjqvb]

There are some great singer-songwriters who use extraordinary imagery. Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Richard Thompson are just some of the finest. But no one - I mean NO ONE - could paint a picture in song like Joni Mitchell. "Leaving six white vapor trails across the bleak terrain. It was the hexagram of the heavens, the strings of this guitar". Oh, my. Never constrained by song form, yet never veering far from it. She not only mastered the art and craft of songwriting - she set a new benchmark that will probably never be raised. Simply perfection in words and music.

[redwingblackbirdnell]

May 20 ~ 21 1932, Amelia Earhart turned on ignition in a red Lockheed Vega and flew from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland to near Londonderry, Northern Ireland, in fifteen hours nonstop, alone over the North Atlantic.

[John-kmuw]

This is probably the most fascinating song I will ever listen to in my lifetime. Many thanks to Rick Beato for explaining why Joni is an unmatched legend in the universe of music; sincerely...j

[hansemannluchter]

I nominate Joni Mitchell for the Nobel-Prize in "Literatur".
Or...
Best singer-songwriter, EVER.
Also, Joni is the most original guitarist. EVER!!

[JonJaeden]

I was there that night ... still a great memory.

[TouFik]

Rick Beato brought me here. I’m so grateful.

[dafyddil]

"Maybe I've never really loved, I guess that is the truth. I've spent my whole life in clouds at icy altitudes. And looking down on everything, I crashed into his arms. Amelia, it was just a false alarm." There's nothing more heartbreaking than those lines.

[thomasmancuso]

I'm gonna say this just once, "There is no one born of this earth, who can even come near to the excellence in writing and performing her vocal paintings, imagery, and never once ever given the credit she deserves as a master beyond the realm of those celebrated."

[THXx]

My mother was a pilot in the early 50's. She was an incredible artist, a very private person. She was the leader of our family, a true renaissance woman. She smoked like a chimney like Joni and when I hear Joni speak I hear my mother. When I sit and watch the jets fly from the runway I see my mother. She flew. She knew.

[virginiaviola]

This is music. No naked dancing girls, no flashing lights, no pyrotechnics, just a girl alone on the stage with her guitar, and she still gives me chills, no matter how many hundreds of times I’ve watched this. THIS is music.

[Yanto-Bardic]

Goose Bumps! Goose Bumps! Goose Bumps! - Oh! What Genius - What Beautiful Music and Poetry.

[madisonnicoleziegler]

This is one of my most beloved songs. As I sit here writing this, I think back on all the past relationships I’ve been through. At such a young age, I come back to this song only when I am in pain and need something to convey those emotions. In my room, at night thinking back on all the people whom have wrong me. I hurt, but I do not regret anything I’ve done, everything happens for a reason. This song is a brilliant, yet sad reminder of that. Words can’t express how much I love and am glad she wrote this masterpiece. Thank you, Joni. ❤️

[johnfranklin]

If ever a song could be declared a masterpiece, this is it.

[Greg]

Anytime I think I’ve heard every possible intricacy of a Joni Mitchell song, I get a little stoned and am transported to this higher place of appreciation. I’ve listened to this song hundreds and hundreds of time and it sounds new each time. Do any of us really understand how incredible Joni Mitchell is?

[johnlittle]

A genius. This amazing woman had it all : musical creation; musicianship; a wonderful voice; intelligence; poetry; and stunning beauty. There is no other woman who comes close to her in terms of her contribution to popular music in the late 20th and early 21st Century. She has an amazing range from folk, through rock, to jazz. Her huge collection of albums will all ensure her music lives on long after she has passed. Her many millions of fans around the world, including myself, have had their lives enriched enormously by listening to, and learning from, Joni's music. A true immortal.

[MUnique]

I love how she gave Pat Metheny some spaces to play within her confines. She knew he would become a star. This is all just amazing work.

[Rupert]

One of the greatest songs by one of the greatest artists on one of the greatest albums ever made (Hejira). I would hope that the fact that guys of the caliber of Pastorius and Metheny collaborated with her moves her beyond the "female artist" bullshit. She is one of the greatest ever, pure and simple.

[billchurch]

Sheer unadulterated genius, beyond a doubt. Listening to Joni is heavenly. I only wish I could’ve seen her live in her prime.

[markpeterson]

One of the greatest musicians and lyricists of the 20th Century

[moonlitme]

Why does this song always bring the tears to the surface?