Fiddle And The Drum

Joni Mitchell

About Fiddle And The Drum

"The Fiddle and the Drum" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell; it was first recorded by Mitchell on her 1969 album Clouds. It was one of the songs performed by Mitchell on The Dick Cavett Show on August 19, 1969, when Mitchell appeared with some of the performers from Woodstock. The song's lyrics lament, from the position of an outsider, that America is "fighting us all" and has "[traded] the fiddle for the drum"; however, the singer can "remember/All the good things you are" and asks "Can we help you find the peace and the star?" As an anti-war song, it was one of the songs that became associated with opposition to the Iraq War; in particular, through the 2004 cover by A Perfect Circle. The song provided the title for the 2007 ballet The Fiddle and the Drum which Mitchell authored with Jean Grand-Maître, the artistic director of the Alberta Ballet Company. The ballet was filmed for an hour-long 2007 film with the same title. 


Year:
2005
74 
#1

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And so once again
My dear Johnny my dear friend
And so once again you are fightin' us all
And when I ask you why
You raise your sticks and cry, and I fall
Oh, my friend
How did you come
To trade the fiddle for the drum

You say I have turned
Like the enemies you've earned
But I can remember
All the good things you are
And so I ask you please
Can I help you find the peace and the star
Oh, my friend
What time is this
To trade the handshake for the fist

And so once again
Oh, America my friend
And so once again
You are fighting us all
And when we ask you why
You raise your sticks and cry and we fall
Oh, my friend
How did you come
To trade the fiddle for the drum

You say we have turned
Like the enemies you've earned
But we can remember
All the good things you are
And so we ask you please
Can we help you find the peace and the star
Oh my friend
We have all come
To fear the beating of your drum

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Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell, CC (born Roberta Joan Anderson; November 7, 1943) is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto. In 1965 she moved to the United States and, touring constantly, began to be recognized when her original songs ("Urge for Going," "Chelsea Morning," "Both Sides, Now," "The Circle Game") were covered by notable folk singers, allowing her to sign with Reprise Records and record her own debut album in 1968. Settling in Southern California, Mitchell and her popular songs like "Big Yellow Taxi" and "Woodstock" helped define an era and a generation. Her more starkly personal 1971 recording Blue has been called one o… more »

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Written by: Joni Mitchell

Lyrics © Crazy Crow Music / Siquomb Music Publishing, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Song Genre
Fiddle and the Drum is classified under the rock genre with a mix of alternative metal for A Perfect Circle's version, while Joni Mitchell's version is classified under folk and pop.
Original Composition
Fiddle and the Drum is originally a protest song written and performed by Joni Mitchell in 1969.
Joni Mitchell's version
The song is written in a unique format of a conversation with America, depicting it as a dear old friend, a symbolic method to express her dismay over the country’s involvement in the Vietnam War.
A Perfect Circle's version
More than 35 years after Joni Mitchell first released the song, the American rock band A Perfect Circle released a cover version of the song in 2004.
A Perfect Circle's Interpretation
Although A Perfect Circle kept the lyrics the same, they performed the song in a different style. The band added their own unique rock touch with powerful instrumentals, combining them with Maynard James Keenan's strong and emotive vocals.
Album Inclusions
The song debuts as the 10th track in Joni Mitchell's second album, "Clouds". In contrast, A Perfect Circle included their version as the ninth track of their second album "Emotive".
Song Reception
The song has been considered as a masterclass of anti-war songwriting, praised for its emotional depth and symbolic depiction.
Live Performances
Joni Mitchell often performed this song at peace rallies and anti-war demonstrations during the Vietnam era, while A Perfect Circle debuted their version live at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Music Video
A Perfect Circle released an animated music video for their rendition of "Fiddle and the Drum" which further emphasizes their anti-war stance.
Song Structure and Style
The song does not follow the conventional verse-chorus structure. It is performed acapella (no instrumental accompaniment) in Joni Mitchell's version, where her voice plays the part of the 'fiddle' in the song's metaphor, likening a war drumbeat. A Perfect Circle, however, used a variety of instruments to create an atmospheric, almost haunting, version of the song.

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