By: Grace Lawlor
At the 66th annual Grammy Awards show, many artists amazed the crowd with their live performances, yet no one touched the hearts of the crowd quite like the spectacular Joni Mitchell. After a widely successful career as a singer-songwriter, this iconic folk singer performed at the Grammys for the first time with her 1966 hit “Both Sides Now.” She was joined by fellow artists Brandi Carlile, Allison Russell, Lucius, Jacob Collier, Blake Mills, and SistaStrings. Despite her prolonged fame, this impactful performance was her first appearance at the Grammys.
The choice to perform “Both Sides Now” out of her entire discography was no arbitrary decision, as the song holds much symbolic meaning, both in the past and today. The track features Mitchell’s reflections on her journey of personal growth and how life experiences have shaped her perspective over time. The lyrics serve as a testament to constant evolution, as she sings, “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.” In reflecting on these shifts in perspective, she recognizes life’s eternally changing qualities and accepts her lack of definite knowledge.
After Mitchell’s initial recording of the song in 1966, she included a re-recording of the song in 2000 as part of her album “Both Sides Now.” The audible shift in her vocals showcases the 34 years past, thus accentuating the message of learning and growing in perspective as life progresses. This sentimental aspect of the song furthered the emotional effect of her Grammy performance 24 years later. As Mitchell took the stage after a multigenerational career spanning over 50 years, people watching both in the crowd and from their screens felt the sentimental impact of Joni Mitchell’s performance reflecting on a life of continuous change and growth.
