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Joni Mitchell — Cactus Tree (live)
Album: Miles of Aisles
Avg rating:
6.5

Your rating:
Total ratings: 39









Released: 1974
Length: 4:59
Plays (last 30 days): 0
There's a man who's been out sailing,
In a decade full of dreams.
And he takes her to a schooner,
And he treats her like a queen.
Bearing beads from California,
With their amber stones and green.
He has called her from the harbor,
He has kissed her with his freedom,
He has heard her off to starboard
In the breaking and the breathing of the water weeds.

While she was busy being free.

There's a man who's climbed a mountain,
And he's calling out her name,
And he hopes her heart can hear,
3,000 miles he calls again,
He can think her there beside him,
He can miss her just the same.
He has missed her in the forest,
While he showed her all the flowers,
And the branches sang the chorus,
As he climbed the scaly towers of a forest tree.

While she was somewhere being free.

There's a man who sent a letter and he's waiting for her reply.
He has asked her of her travels since the day they said goodbye.
He writes, "Wish you were beside me, we could make it if we try."
He has seen her at the office, with her name on all his papers,
Through the sharing of the profits,
He will find it hard to shake her from these memories.

And she's so busy being free.

There's a lady, in the city, and she thinks she loves them all.
There's the one who's thinking of her,
There's the one who sometimes calls.
There's the one who writes her letters,
With his facts and figures scrawl.
She has brought them to her senses,
They have laughed inside her laughter.
Now she rallies her defenses,
For she fears that one will ask her for eternity.

And she's so busy being free.

There's a man who sends her medals,
He is bleeding from the war.
There's a jouster and a jester and a man who owns a store.
There's a drummer, and a dreamer,
And you know there may be more .
She will love them when she sees them,
They will lose her if they follow.
And she only means to please them,
And her heart is full and hollow like a cactus tree.

While she's so busy being free.

Like a cactus tree-
Being free.
Comments (10)add comment
seriously beautiful music, takes some dedication on the listeners' part
I guess I can understand not caring for her voice and the tune (though I don\'t agree!), but the lyrics are so evocative. \"Her heart is full and hollow like a cactus tree.\" I can feel it and remember feeling it the first time I heard this song, what seems like a hundred years ago.
I love Joni! That said, I don't care for this song. Play "Carry"!
Originally Posted by samiyam: You youngsters don't know how good we used ta have it. Joni was a Goddess walking amongst us. Samiyam
...in your weird little f**ked up cult. She's one of the worst singers I've ever heard.
You youngsters don\'t know how good we used ta have it. Joni was a Goddess walking amongst us. Samiyam
I wish she would shut the hell up!
her voice induces an effect similar to a bad hangover.
Good enough poem - awful song - 3/10