"Same Situation" by Joni Mitchell

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Lyrical Analysis

This song alternates verses dominated by second-person direct with choruses (Genius calls these verses but I beg to differ) in first-person. This makes the song end in a lesser degree of intimacy than its peak.

[Verse 1] Again and again the same situation For so many years Tethered to a ringing telephone In a room full of mirrors A pretty girl in your bathroom <-- Second-person covert Checking out her sex appeal <-- Third-person I asked myself when you said you loved me <-- Second-person direct Do you think this can be real? [Chorus 1] Still I sent up my prayer <-- First-person Wondering where it had to go With heaven full of astronauts And the Lord on death row While the millions of his lost and lonely ones <-- Third-person Call out and clamour to be found Caught in their struggle for higher positions And their search for love that sticks around [Verse 2] You've had lots of lovely women <-- Second-person direct Now you turn your gaze to me Weighing the beauty and the imperfection To see if I'm worthy Like the church, like a cop, like a mother You want me to be truthful Sometimes you turn it on me like a weapon though And I need your approval

[Chorus 2] Still I sent up my prayer <-- First-person Wondering who was there to hear I said, "Send me somebody Who's strong and somewhat sincere" With the millions of the lost and lonely ones I called out to be released Caught in my struggle for higher achievements And my search for love That don't seem to cease

Similarly to “People’s Parties,” this demonstrates the speaker getting lost in her own introspection that takes her away from the present moment.

The contrast between the verses and the choruses, the second-person direct and the first-person, reflect the speaker’s struggle between wanting connection and striving for self-actualization. This is stated explicitly in the lines "Caught in my struggle for higher achievements / And my search for love / That don't seem to cease." The verses describe an all-consuming desire for love that demands an intimacy as great as second-person direct. The choruses, on the other hand, describe the speaker's desire to fulfill her spiritual goals. This causes the narrative pronouns to pull away in intimacy that can go all the way back to third-person when describing "the Lord on death row." The pulling away in intimate narrative pronouns highlights the isolation the speaker feels in her dilemma.

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Formal Analysis

There is also some form significance here, in that the 2nd and 4th verses are actually choruses. Here is my argument for why the 2nd and 4th “verses” are actually choruses:

• they start with the same lyrics

• they have more layers of texture and more vocal range that create more energy)

What’s cool about this is that if these verses are actually choruses then the choruses are an example of being lyrically variant. Most choruses are lyric invariant or at least really close to it. The only invariant part of the lyrics in these choruses are the first lines of them: “So I sent up my prayer.” This demonstrates Joni’s trademark of an almost conversational approach to her songwriting. Her lyrics almost take on a stream-of-consciousness kind of feel.

Another point of significance with form (though this might be more rhythm/meter) is that the song slides freely between meters, disrupting the hypermeter very often. The first change in time signature happens in the intro leading into the first verse (changes from 5/4 to 4/4 before going into the verse at 3/4) The second time signature happens in the middle of the chorus, adding a beat in the lines “With heaven full of astronauts and the Lord on death row” and “Send me somebody who’s strong and somewhat sincere.” This is a really straightforward example of hypermetric disruption.

The combination of an unconventionally invariant chorus and an unstable hypermeter contributes to the fragmented and anxious experience of the speaker in the song. The speaker seems conflicted and anxious about the uncertainty in her life, both internally and with others.

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Timbre/Texture Analysis

The significant thing about the texture and timbre in "Same Situation" is that the thickening texture and change of timbre signal a change from a verse to a chorus. Here is a sort of play-by-play for texture and timbre in the song:

• The song starts with solo piano (filler) and vocals (melody), then novelty layer of synth comes in about halfway through the first verse. Finally, the electric bass joins in for the last two lines of the verse.

• For the first chorus, the texture definitely thickens, with electric guitar (or synth?) join the piano for the filler layer and add some to the novelty layer. Drums also enter for the explicit beat layer, although subtly.

• Something interesting: the texture does not drop off for the second verse. It maintains a good deal of energy through this choice not to strip back the texture for the second verse. This second verse also has a feeling of slight crescendo until it approaches the second verse. This is created by the drums popping out of the texture with fills as the verse transitions to the chorus.

• The energy gains more with the second chorus with a thickening texture and change in timbre. Strings join in the filler layer.

• There is an instrumental outro where the energy drops off. The synth disappears and then the piano, leaving only the bass, drums, and strings.

The constant energy increase in the texture of the song reflects the experience of the speaker’s emotional crisis. There is a sort of emotional boiling point that is reached when the speaker realizes her clashing desires and how they are keeping her stuck in a sort of vicious cycle.