From the bright guitar strums to the opening lines, Joni Mitchell instantly transports listeners to the heart of late 1960s New York City. In “Chelsea Morning,” part of Mitchell’s second album, Clouds, she paints a radiant portrait of the Chelsea neighborhood– a creative hub of Manhattan– through vibrant melody and lyricism.
Released in May 1969, “Chelsea Morning” reflects a youthful moment in Mitchell’s early years, before her legacy as a songwriting icon was fully set. Reflecting on its origins, Mitchell shared in a 1996 interview with the Los Angeles Times:
“I wrote that in Philadelphia after some girls who worked in this club where I was playing…found all this colored slag glass in an alley. We collected a lot of it and built these glass mobiles with copper wire and coat hangers. I took mine back to New York and put them in my window on West 16th Street in the Chelsea District. The sun would hit the mobile and send these moving colors all around the room. As a young girl, I found that to be a thing of beauty. There’s even a reference to the mobile in the song. It was a very young and lovely time… before I had a record deal. I think it’s a very sweet song, but I don’t think of it as part of my best work. To me, most of those early songs seem like the work of an ingenue.”
Joni Mitchell
Even if she considered the song a youthful effort, it successfully captures the wonder of a young artist soaking up the world around her.
Mitchell was born on November 7, 1943 in Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada and later moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan– a place she calls her hometown. She briefly studied piano as a child, but had ultimately sprung into the role of “classroom artist” at school. She developed her love for painting and it remained her primary artistic outlet in her childhood and adolescence years. In grade seven, Mitchell met an English teacher who had told her, “If you can paint with a brush, you can paint with words.” He encouraged her creativeness in writing which helped shape her ability for imagery and description, along with her passion for writing.
In 1967, Mitchell moved to the Chelsea district of Greenwich Village in New York City at the peak of its folk music scene to pursue her dreams as a solo artist. Though still unknown at the time, she played among a crowd of established artists such as Bob Dylan and Judy Collins, building a name as a striking voice in the folk scene through small club gigs.
Mitchell was still on the cusp of widespread fame at the time “Chelsea Morning” was released. Her debut album Song to a Seagull had introduced listeners to her poetic lyricism and unique guitar melodies. In many ways, “Chelsea Morning” captures the early optimism and wonder before the introspection of Blue. Mitchell would go on to become one of the most influential songwriters of the 20th century, but at this moment, she was just a young artist falling in love with New York mornings and the colors cast upon her apartment walls.
“Chelsea Morning” follows a traditional verse-chorus structure, but stands out with its rhythmic playfulness and vivid detail. The first verse sets the scene, describing the morning with various sounds and sights Chelsea has to offer. Even now years later, the listener is transported to this different time in place. The second verse depicts the visual details of the room Mitchell “wakes up” in, such as the sun shining through the curtains, rainbow on the wall, and blue, red and green colors. The last verse shifts to a breakfast scene with foods spread out and the feeling of light like butterscotch. Each chorus invites the listener to “stay” and experience the day.
The song’s outro is a variation of the chorus, focusing on being together while experiencing the present moment. Mitchell’s sound is brought about through her alternate guitar tuning technique, which allows for a more complex sound that moved beyond traditional folk music.
New York City is often painted as a busy city, that can be chaotic and overwhelming. Yet, Mitchell’s song reveals a rare stillness as she captures a birds-eye view into one part of such a large city, describing a calm morning in Chelsea.
She successfully manages to describe the simplicity of a morning, that many experience and can relate to. Her lyrics flow with effortless charm. It’s easy to take times in life for granted, even the smallest of things like the space of an apartment or parts of the day to oneself, but Mitchell uses her lyricism and dainty melodies to find a longing appreciation for these moments, and a feel for sharing it with another. Like all of her songs, Mitchell’s vision in her execution is apparent through the final result.
In the 1960’s, the Chelsea neighborhood was a cornerstone for artistic and countercultural activity. Artists, musicians, and writers came to the Chelsea Hotel, which grew into a haven and symbol of this movement. It attracted creative individuals who sought forms of inspiration, fostering a unique community within the city.
Mitchell’s song, “Chelsea Morning” conveys the feeling that was brought out during this time in Chelsea. Through lyric, melody, and mood, she gives listeners a glimpse of a youthful and inspiring time in an intertwined Manhattan corner of art and life.
“Chelsea Morning” Lyrics
Woke up, it was a Chelsea morning
And the first thing that I heard
Was a song outside my window
And the traffic wrote the words
It came ringin’ up like Christmas bells
And rappin’ up like pipes and drums
Oh, won’t you stay? We’ll put on the day
And we’ll wear it ’til the night comes
Woke up, it was a Chelsea morning
And the first thing that I saw
Was the sun through yellow curtains
And a rainbow on the wall
Blue, red, green and gold to welcome you
Crimson crystal beads to beckon
Oh, won’t you stay? We’ll put on the day
There’s a sun show every second
Now the curtain opens on a portrait of today
And the streets are paved with passersby
And pigeons fly and papers lie
Waiting to blow away
Woke up, it was a Chelsea morning
And the first thing that I knew
There was milk and toast and honey
And a bowl of oranges too
And the light poured in like butterscotch
And stuck to all my senses
Oh, won’t you stay? We’ll put on the day
And we’ll talk in present tenses
When the curtain closes and the rainbow runs away
I will bring you incense owls by night
By candlelight, by jewel-light, if only you will stay
Pretty baby, won’t you-
Wake up, it’s a Chelsea morning
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