“Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell
I’m probably not the biggest Joni Mitchell fan. Her phenomenal talent and importance as a songwriter can’t be overstated, but her voice is something of an acquired taste. Take, for example, this earlier recording of “Both Sides Now,” one of her signature songs: I think it absolutely benefits from what’s arguably now a more limited range, and certainly is a huskier voice. (It’s hard not to hear the years of cigarette smoke with every note.) It’s also a song that hugely benefits from perspective and time: there’s a lot more resonance to lyrics like “I’ve looked at love from both sides now” or “so many things I would have done” when they’re sung by a fifty-seven-year-old instead of a twenty-seven-year-old.
And while I’m sharing covers of the song, I also really like Rachael Yamagata’s version, but mostly just because I really like Rachael Yamagata.