Discover the story of the song > Both Sides Now – Joni Mitchell

The song "Both Sides Now" was written by Joni Mitchell in 1967. It was originally recorded by Judy Collins in 1968 and has subsequently been covered by many artists, including Mitchell herself. The song is about the naivety of youth and the wisdom of adulthood, and how both can be deceiving.

"Both Sides Now" was written by Joni Mitchell while she was in New York City in 1967. She was 20 years old and in the process of breaking up with her then-boyfriend. The song was inspired by a book she had read, The Snow Leopard, by Peter Matthiessen. In the book, Matthiessen talks about his own experience with separation and how he learned to see things from different perspectives. Mitchell then translated this idea to her own life and her own experience of separation.

The song was an immediate hit, reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100.